Oh the weather outside is frightful – but no White Christmas
Last week, Joan Blackburn of Met Éireann said the chances of snow on Christmas Morning in Ireland are “Slim to zero” – and we’re sorry to report that it looks like she was right.
That’s not to say things won’t get a bit chilly for Santa as makes his rounds the night before, with Met Éireann projections showing lows of 3C across the eastern half of the country.
Met Éireann forecasts say that temperatures could drop to as low as 0C in places, but snow seems to be off the agenda.
“Christmas Eve night will be mainly dry with clear spells, but there'll still be some showers in the west,” their forecast states.
“It will be cold with lowest temperatures of 0 to 3 degrees and with frost developing in places.”
Don’t look for hope among the other weather services either – Metcheck is also predicting 3C temperatures on Christmas Eve night, with Accuweather forecasting up to 6C – not exactly snow-friendly temperatures (although both warn that it will feel colder in the strong winds).
Puddle snowman! Photo Credit: Kim Rose, Facebook. #winter #rain #snowmen pic.twitter.com/LEl5oJ5VYS
— Crop Circle Farms® (@CropCircleFarms) December 21, 2015
If you’re planning on a traditional swim, hearty stroll or a visit to the relatives on Christmas Day, then you should probably take it easy on the Christmas cheer the night before, depending on where you’ll be spending the morning.
It looks like the northern half of the country at least is in for a bright, fresh Christmas morning (hopefully with some lingering frost for a tinge of white at least), and an afternoon and evening best spent by a roaring fire watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
“Christmas Day will start off cold, bright and sunny in many areas,” say the boffins in Glasnevin.
“However, wet and windy weather will develop in the southwest by around noon and will spread northeastwards to all areas through the afternoon and evening. Daytime temperatures of 5-10C with strengthening southerly winds.”
Here's your weather snapshot for end of #ChristmasWeek A little cooler but not much hope of #snow Alex D pic.twitter.com/krRVXzDGYw
— BBC Weather (@bbcweather) December 22, 2015
You might want to delay that visit to the folks until St Stephen’s Day, when it looks like the “mild and breezy” conditions will be about as good as it gets this December.
“It will be mostly cloudy and mainly dry,” say Met Éireann.
“Patchy rain or drizzle may affect southern and western coastal areas at times. Highest temperatures of 11-14C with fresh southerly winds.”
Metrogroup UK are not so optimistic though, saying it will be “Wet and windy with outbreaks of rain, heaviest and most persistent in the north and west.”
Oh well, at least those Christmas presents of wooly hats and mittens will come in handy, eh?
