TUESDAY JANUARY 13TH: A cold morning with some light snow showers – accumulations likely on hills. Further showers of hail, sleet and snow will develop during the afternoon. Winds moderate southwesterly will make it feel very cold as afternoon highs only reach between 2c and 4c. OVERNIGHT: Cold with a continuing risk of snow showers though these should die out later. Lows of -2c to 0c in a fresh SW wind. Ice will develop on wet surfaces towards dawn.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 14TH: A cold start with some sunny spells and just the small chance of a wintry shower. Cloud will thicken through the morning as SW winds back southerly and increase. Outbreaks of rain will spread from the SW possibly falling as sleet or snow for a time before milder air takes hold and turns it back to rain in the afternoon. Temperatures reaching 5c or 6c at best – so feeling very cold owing to the strong wind which will touch gale force at times. Some storm force gusts are possible. OVERNIGHT: Rain and sleet clearing eastwards and southerly winds will back westerly and increase further with some intense gusts that may cause damage or disruption. Temperatures will fall quickly to around 1c or 2c and heavy wintry showers will develop, possibly giving a snow covering. Ice forming on untreated surfaces.

THURSDAY JANUARY 15TH: The strongest of the overnight winds will have moderated somewhat by daybreak, but still remaining blustery with wintry showers at first turning back to rain or hail later as temperatures rise to around 4c or 5c at best. Some sunny spells also. OVERNIGHT: Some wintry showers returning as temperatures fall to around 0c or -1c, though the showers will be more isolated later. Winds moderating also. Again, ice will form on untreated surfaces.

FRIDAY JANUARY 16TH: A cold frosty start with good sunny spells. Showers of rain and hail developing in the afternoon as temperatures rise to around 4c or 5c in a moderate west wind. OVERNIGHT: Very cold with a sharp to severe frost as temperatures drop to between -3c and 0c. Winds light westerly.

FURTHER OUTLOOK: Remaining cold and rather unsettled for the weekend with further showers, mainly of rain, sleet and hail, but the risk of some snowfall on high ground especially on Sunday night as a more organised band of precipitation crosses from the west. Into next week and it looks like becoming even colder with a continental influence taking over from the current Atlantic dominated theme. Potential for snowfall increases as the classic east V west airmass battle takes palce. More on this later…

NOTE: Forecast provided by www.laoisweather.com – Please check their Facebook page for ongoing updates: Click Here