The Big Freeze Part Two: Forecasters Warn of Snow and Ice

During the week, weather forecasters were pretty optimistic about Ireland escaping the snow this year, but are we headed for another big freeze? We could be…

The Irish Daily Mirror reports that temperatures are set to plunge to a freezing -8C next week as the first big freeze hits Ireland this year, and weather forecasters are warning the public to prepare for “a cold regime” that will sweep through the country.

According to Pat Clarke, a weather forecaster for Met Eireann, there will be a long spell of freezing weather that will make driving conditions extremely dangerous.

“What we’re seeing now and what we can expect is a cold regime starting from Sunday,” said Mr Clarke.

“We’re talking night temperatures between -5C and -8C and it’s to be even colder than that with ground temperatures,” he added.

Apparently we're not out of the woods yet when it comes to bad winter weather

However, Mr Clarke was still not sure if we’ll be hit by some of the white stuff (that’s snow) before Christmas.

“The British are looking like they will bear the brunt of the cold with them more than likely hit with all the wintery precipitation, like snow and sleet,” said Mr Clarke.

“What we’re having is a bit like a cold war really. It’s the Atlantic weather battling against the eastern fronts. What kind of weather we get will depend on who wins out. If it’s the Atlantic, then we’ll get the wet windy weather but if it’s the east, we’ll get snow and ice,” he added.

With such cold weather on the way, it’s not surprising that road safety chiefs were warning motorists to take extra when driving.

“We are urging road users to slow down and take extra care as fog and frost may not clear during daylight hours and motorists should be aware of the risk of black ice on the roads. Freezing fog will be a problem at night, also where visibility is greatly reduced in such conditions,” said a spokeswoman for the Road Safety Authority.

“A collision involving one vehicle can quickly involve many others especially if driving too fast and too close to the vehicle in front,” the spokeswoman added.

If you’re travelling over the course of the weekend wrap up warm and stay safe!