ST. STEPHEN’S DAY: A cold frosty start today with ice on untreated pavements. Some sunshine at first also, however cloud will increase from the south, becoming overcast by the afternoon. Light southeast breezes will back easterly and then northeasterly during the afternoon becoming northerly tonight. Cold throughout the day with maximum temperatures of just 3c at best. Rain over the southwest will edge in over the region this afternoon turning to sleet and snow in places (especially over high ground) however, amounts will be small. TONIGHT: A mixture of clear spells and passing wintry showers in a fresh north wind. Cold with lows of -1c or -2c. Some accumulations of snow locally. Ice forming on untreated pavements.
TOMORROW: Further showers tomorrow, but these becoming less frequent throughout the day with some of sleet and snow in places again. Highs once again reaching 3c or perhaps 4c at best in a fresh northwest wind, easing later. Feeling cold despite good sunny spells between the showers. OVERNIGHT: Cold, calm and clear with a severe frost setting in soon after dark. Lows of -4c to -1c with ice on untreated pavements. Some fog is likely to form in the calm conditions.
THURSDAY DECEMBER 28th: A cold day with frost and ice slowly clearing. Prolonged sunshine for the morning and early afternoon once any fog dissipates. Highs of just 2c or 3c at best. Cloud will once more thicken from the southwest in the late afternoon with outbreaks of sleet and snow developing around darkfall. Winds calm at first will pickup moderate to fresh from the southeast during the day, making it feel quite cold. OVERNIGHT: Cold with lows of 1c to 3c. Outbreaks of sleet and snow becoming more persistent and heavy at times, but tending to turn more to rain towards dawn as slightly milder air extends from the west. Feeling very cold with fresh winds from a southeasterly vector backing westerly later as the rain and sleet clears before dawn. Clearing skies also allowing a frost to develop in sheltered places around daybreak with some ice on untreated surfaces.
FRIDAY DECEMBER 29th: Some uncertainty about Friday’s weather as a complex low extends from the west – clear skies at first, but cloud and rain, perhaps sleet extends from the west by around noon. Westerly winds light at first, picking up during the day with some strong gusts locally. Cool with highs of 7c or 8c at best. OVERNIGHT: Any rain or sleet clearing to showers of rain, perhaps sleet. Cool with lows of 4c in fresh west winds, with the continuing risk of strong gusts locally.
OUTLOOK: Remaining cool overall with spells of wet and windy weather coming from the west, and a potential for stormy conditions too.