RED ALERT: Met Eireann have just issued a status Red warning for Leinster and Munster from 4pm tomorrow, Thursday until 12 noon Friday. In the meantime, Laois remains at status Orange for snow-ice. Below is the details of the just issued Red status warning:

Snow-ice Warning for Munster and Leinster
Blizzard-like conditions will develop in heavy snow and strong easterly winds on Thursday evening and will continue Thursday night and Friday morning giving significant snow drifts in many areas.

Issued:Wednesday 28 February 2018 11:00
Valid:Thursday 01 March 2018 16:00 to Friday 02 March 2018 12:00

OVERVIEW: Snowfall will continue in the form of frequent heavy showers throughout today, Wednesday and overnight and for a time tomorrow, Thursday. This afternoon winds will increase causing blowing snow and white-out conditions which will make travel conditions extremely difficult. Remaining sub-zero throughout leading to a severe windchill. Please note, the ongoing weather situation is very complex in it’s development, so please check in regularly for updates – especially on LaoisWeather’s Facebook and Twitter pages and also with Met Eireann at www.met.ie online.

WEDNESDAY: Further heavy snow showers today with some short sunny intervals at times also. Cold with highs of only around -1c or -2c at best. Light NE winds at first will increase fresh this afternoon and this evening to around 25mph, gusting 40mph causing blowing snow and blizzard like conditions at times. OVERNIGHT: Continuing snow showers with moderate to fresh east winds continuing. Cold with lows of -5c or -6c, perhaps lower in areas sheltered from the east wind.

THURSDAY: Further showers tomorrow morning and continuing rather windy from the east with blowing snow at times. Shower activity will ease for a period around noon as cloud rapidly increases from the southeast. Cold throughout with highest temperatures only getting to -1c or 0c at best. Later tomorrow afternoon, storm “Emma” approaches towards the south-southeast of Ireland and it’s associated fronts will push northwards over Ireland and stalling giving prolonged heavy snow Thursday evening and overnight. Winds, moderate easterly at first will back southeast and strengthen giving galeforce gusts at times. OVERNIGHT: Further snow, heavy at times with blizzard conditions. Cold with lows of -3c to 0c and strong east to southeast winds will give severe windchill.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: It is very difficult to say how this period of weather will evolve. Storm Emma has two possible outcomes: 1: Pushing into south Wales and keeping Ireland in a cold east flow with further snow; 2: Pushing up north off the west coast of Ireland introducing milder air and a thaw. We will monitor this situation and update accordingly.

SNOW TOTALS: We expect up to 8cm or 10cm to fall today Wednesday on top of what is already there (as of 9am); Tonight we expect a further 6cm or 8cm to fall. Tomorrow before “Emma” we expect another 6cm with “Emma” producing up to 15cm of snow. This would give the potential for between 30cm and 40cm of snow to fall between now and 12noon Friday. 

Keep an eye on current conditions from South Laois at: www.laoisweather.com or from North Laois at www.northlaoiswr.info

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Leinster and Munster regions of Ireland Map