Snow likely today in many parts

SUMMER TIME may have officially arrived but March is expected to exit like it came in – with a cold snap.

Snow is forecast today for the northern half of the country as an unseasonable freeze takes its grip with daytime temperatures barely making it into single figures.

“Snow is going to fall in many places,” said Met Éireann forecaster Michael McAuliffe. “The question is to what extent it will be accumulating on the ground, but high up snow is going to accumulate.”

Mr McAuliffe said snow is not that unusual in March or even in April, but it might feel that way after the relative mild weather of recent days. “We’re taking big step back into late winter for the last couple of days,” he said.

With just one day left in the month March is set to follow January and February as months with below-average temperatures making it one of the coldest first quarters of the year on record.

The conditions have been caused by cold winds from the north and east replacing the prevailing winds from the southwest which usually bring showery conditions and mild temperatures.

Today there could be snow in a swathe of the country from Donegal to Dublin where daytime temperatures will be between 2-5C.