Snow and temperatures as low as -5 forecast for bitterly cold St. Patrick’s weekend

Makes the thought of a cosy pint by a fire even more tempting.

Temperatures in Ireland will drop by as much as 17 degrees between Thursday and Sunday night, according to the latest Met Éireann forecast for the Bank Holiday weekend. Top temperatures of up to 12 degrees have been forecast on what will be relatively mild days on Thursday and Friday before plunging significantly ahead of what is promised to be a “cold and breezy” St. Patrick’s Day, with “significant wind chill”. Snow showers are predicted for the east and southeast on Saturday and Sunday although, at this stage, Met Éireann say that “amounts are looking small” and that “a few flurries are possible elsewhere” so it doesn't look like we're going to get the six inches of snow forecast earlier this week. While the amount of snowfall may be minimal, what isn’t in doubt is that this weekend will be absolutely Baltic. Afternoon temperatures on Saturday, St. Patrick’s Day, will no higher than 3 degrees in the eastern half of the country and no higher than 6 degrees in the west, although the wind chill is likely to make it feel even colder throughout the day. At night, meanwhile, the mercury will drop to as low as -4 on Saturday night and -5 on Sunday night, with widespread severe frost, although it is not likely to be as cold as that in coastal areas in Leinster. In better news, the Bank Holiday Monday will be dry and sunny in most parts but it will again be very cold, with temperatures reaching no higher than 7 degrees before falling to as low as -5 again on Monday night. It might be the middle of March but it will still feel like the middle of winter, so make sure to wrap up if you are out and about enjoying the festivities this weekend.