Colder this week, some wintry/snow showers, widespread frost and ice.

Another plus about this cold snap is that it feels Christmassy. I love it.

Nephin Mountain in Co.Mayo got a fresh dusting of snow from this shower that passed by about an hour ago.

The first snow of the season could be seen early last night near the summit under the light of the full moon.

A couple of well scattered but lovely defined showerclouds here this afternoon. The one below produced a few snowflakes in Castlebar and along part of the Nephin Beg Range. A lovely orange glow now in the southwestern quadrant of the sky after a lovely winter sunset.

Donegal airport went from Rain at 4pm to light snow at 4.30 and to sleet at 5pm

EIDL 081700Z 17008KT 9999 -RASN SCT012 OVC048 01/00 Q1014

EIDL 081630Z 17011KT 9999 -SN BKN020 OVC023 01/M00 Q1014

EIDL 081600Z VRB04KT 9000 RA OVC026 02/M00 Q1014

Some amazing cloudscapes out over the Irish sea being lit up by the setting sun.

Checking some of the hi res charts and steering winds really weren't going to switch more NE'ly till maybe 6ish for Dublin & south.

Looking at satellite and developing cloud in and around the IOM is finally shifting and moving on a NE'ly wind. So almost kickoff (in terms of shifting wind). Window looks to be open till a little while after midnight. But not surprising to see the lack of precip pushing inland, by the times things may get going again we won't be a million miles off winds going back more straight N'rly and any developments will start to slide down the Irish sea again.

But let's see what the developing cloud around IOM does - not my area of knowledge so don't know is this a precursor to precip.

EDIT: Icon 12z does make something of the cloud developing in that area. But it get's within touching distance of Dublin and says g'luck. Let's see.

Whoop, whoop!! 0.0 c in Sandyford now - fell rapidly from 2.1 to that in the last hour

Much colder than last night here, clear overhead with some clouds visible in the Irish Sea direction, currently 08/-0.9C temp/dp so conditions favourable for sneachta, lets see what the night brings.

Webcam view towards the NE (bright ball is the moon which looks huge tonight :

Have been quietly watching this forum for years (10ish) never post, just check in come winter. Familiar with all the names, here & gone. I find the discussion/model watching fascinating, and share a passion for cold with some.

It never fails to strike me, that come Winter, approaching a cold snap, various unfamiliar posters pop in, some to genuinely question the love of wintry weather, but some to criticise, dismiss, agitate.

I have arrived at the following categorization:

"what is the story with wishing for cold, I mean what about the vulnerable etc.". = I'm disappointed

"ah sure it all be over in 2 days, non event, what's all the hype about" = I'm disappointed

"You lot always ramp it up & it never comes to pass" = I'm disappointed

Anyway, thanks to everyones contributions over the years, a good bunch all round. We all deserve snowmageddon this year☃️

"I also think frosty weather is necessary to kill off bugs like cold and flu "

Surely after the spread of covid you dont believe that myth anymore? Covid first spread across the Northern hemisphere in the 3 coldest months of the year. Indeed one the first super spreader events in Europe was from a bar in a ski resort in Austra. Cold weather has precisely nothing to do with killing virus, It merely keeps people indoors a little more which can make the virus harder to find hosts. Nothing to do with Temperature.

Extreme cold does inactivate viruses, but not the temperatures that humans exist in.

As we well know, only barrier methods, hand and mucous membrane hygiene and virus killing agents like ethyl alcohol can reduce viral load and give the immune system some chance to avoid illness.

Down to 0.9c here in waterford Was up at 1.7 last night at 8pm. The water tray out the back didn't really thaw much today so it will be interesting tomorrow if these temps keep dropping. Would recommend getting a quilted frost shield for the windscreen of your car, very handy and keeps the ice forming on the inside of the windscreen if you have a car that fogs up. Also good if you have a diesel and it takes ages to heat up.

Omg that's.... I'm feckin speechless

Thanks everyone for answering my query with..on the whole...civility

Steve

Look at those lovely showers just floating off the coast of wexford. If only they would push inland