Snow & ice in COLD St Patrick's Day weekend Met Éireann advance weather warning #beastfromtheeast

Met Éireann has issued an an advance warning for snow and ice as the blast of Siberian air known as the 'beast from the east' makes a return trip to Ireland.

The forecaster has issued a Status Yellow Weather advisory for cold weather this weekend with low-temperatures, now-showers, snow-accumulation mainly Saturday night and Sunday.

The advice is valid from Friday, March 16 9am to Sunday 18 March 2018 11:59pm.

Met Éireann's UK partner the Met Office has warned of much colder weather this weekend.

Looking ahead to the #weekend? Turning much colder with #snow and #ice in places - here are the details pic.twitter.com/dWmhgv1ehY

— Met Office (@metoffice) March 15, 2018

Forecast

Friday

Outbreaks of showery rain across north-Leinster and Ulster on Friday morning will slowly clear through the day. Elsewhere the day will be generally dry and bright but scattered showers will break out over west-Munster this afternoon. Highs of 7 to 11 degrees in light southeast breezes.

Most places will remain dry on Friday evening and early tonight but scattered showers will develop across Leinster and east Ulster later in the night. Lowest temperatures of 0 to 4 degrees in moderate to fresh easterly winds.

Saturday

St. Patrick's Day will be a cold and windy day that will contiune to get colder through the day with scattered showers progressively turning more wintry. Highs of only 1 to 3 degrees in the eastern half of the country, 4 to 6 degrees in the west. Blustery easterly winds will add a significant wind chill.

Saturday night will continue with scattered wintry showers mainly in the north and east with fresh to strong and gusty northeast winds. Turning very cold with lowest temperatures falling to between -1 and -4 degrees with a widespread sharp frost. 

LATEST FORECAST ON RTE

Outlook

Summary: Remaining very cold with scattered wintry showers becoming isolated and then mostly dry as high pressure builds over Ireland. Becoming less cold by mid week. 

Sunday

Remaining very cold on Sunday with scattered wintry showers becoming more widespread for a time before dying out later. Northeast to east winds will continue fresh to strong adding a wind chill to the afternoon temperatures of just 1 to 4 degrees. 

Sunday night will become mostly dry with just the odd wintry shower in the east and south. Easterly winds will be moderate to fresh and lowest temperatures will fall to around -1 to -4 degrees with a widespread frost. 

Monday will be mostly dry with just the odd wintry flurry. Easterly winds will gradually ease and top temperatures will be a degree or so higher. Monday night will be mostly dry with good clear spells and it is likely to be very cold with a severe frost as winds fall light. 

Tuesday will be still mostly dry with some hazy sunshine and light winds. Top temperature will not be as cold as over the weekend and may reach 5 to 7 degrees. 

It is likely to become cloudy with some patchy rain or drizzle on Wednesday in moderate southwesterly breezes.