Road users are being urged to drive with care as temperatures are set to drop as low as -5 in some parts of the north west overnight.
Met Éireann has issued a moderate weather warning for Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Connacht, Longford, Louth, Meath and Westmeath.
The alert, valid from 9pm tonight until 9am tomorrow, warns of hazardous conditions due to freezing temperatures with icy stretches on roads and footpaths.
Main pic: The famous Ivy Bridge, Glenfin, beautifully captured this morning by Íosold Mooney (13).
Senior Forecaster with Met Éireann Gerry Murphy said the next few days will continue “quite cold”.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, he said after yesterday’s rain there will be ice on some roads.
“So, it’s certainly a morning for taking good care on the roads, especially across the midlands, up over the northern half of the country where those road surfaces are still well below 0, and that’s in the shorter term. So, we have a very cold day in store for today,” Mr Murphy said.
It could get down to about –5C overnight tonight in parts of the northern half of the country, he added.
“However, the roads should be that bit drier, which means that there will certainly be icy stretches in places, the risk of more widespread ice won’t be quite as high and then again staying cold tomorrow.”
There is also a chance of sleet and snow on higher grounds in the south, in Cork and Kerry, as well as wintry showers in the northwest of the country, giving some small accumulations of snow there too, he said.
‘Sneachta na Gaeilge’ near Letterkenny this morning as captured by the @DonegalMaps Twitter account.
Mr Murphy also said “there is a threat of something more significant” as a weather system pushes up over the country through tomorrow night and Thursday.
“As it meets that cold air, it’s going to fall as rain, sleet and snow. And currently it looks like falling as rain and sleet on Thursday over the southern half of the country.”
He said it is not unusual to get a cold spell of weather at the beginning of March.
The Head of Communications with the Road Safety Authority also urged road users to exercise caution as the colder weather has brought about a change in conditions.
Speaking on the same programme, Brian Farrell said it is important to anticipate all the risks on the road, with a particular risk of ice and black ice this morning.
“This comes on the back of a mild spell. And it is a change in conditions and we really have to get our mind in gear for some more winter driving this week,” he said.
A Status Yellow Ice warning for the entire country expired at 10am.
It will be very cold again tonight, with patches of rain, sleet and snow moving into the far southwest and lowest temperatures of -4C to 0C, but falling as low as -5C or -6C in Ulster and the northwest.
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