Chance of some snow – and downpours, hail and thunderSnowfall (in purple) predicted for Thursday (Image: WXCharts)

Some parts of Ireland could see snow this week as the weather stays very cold into the weekend. Parts of the country had some snow in recent weeks a temperatures plunged below freezing bringing chilly nights, frosty mornings and some white dustings of snow for some.

While Met Éireann is yet to give a definitive yes to snow in Cork, weather maps including radars from forecast trackers WXCharts and Windy.com both indicate potential for fresh snow (or sleety slush) to fall on Ireland this week. If we do see snow this week, it’ll most likely be on Wednesday night or Thursday as temperatures plunge to freezing.

Radar signals possible snow or sleet this week(Image: WXCharts)

Current radars show a band of snowy showers moving in on Thursday morning, across Munster and the midlands at around midday, hanging around North Cork through the afternoon, an falling on the east coast by around 3pm before clearing to the east.

It will be very cold, with lows of freezing on Wednesday night only reaching the single digit degrees on Thursday. However it’s unlikely to be a white winter wonderland. Parts of North Cork could see around 1cm of snow on Thursday – nothing crazy. There is more chance of snow later in the month. Alan O’Reilly of Carlow Weather has predicted it’s unlikely we’ll see any “real significant” cold and snowy conditions for a while anyway.

Windy charts say snow likely – but it won’t be a winter wonderland yet(Image: Windy.com)

It’s more likely we’ll see ice, hail and thunderstorms this week, as Met Éireann experts track a weather system moving in to bring unsettled conditions to the southwest. It will continue to be very cold as the week goes on, with some sunny intervals between heavy showers as low pressure continues to dominate.

In its extended range forecast, updated on Friday, Met Éireann predicted that for the first week of meteorological winter (December 1 – December 7) low pressure will be dominant, bringing generally unsettled conditions. Atlantic fronts will spread across the country from the southwest with frequent spells of rain and showers.

This week in 2010 was one of the coldest starts to December, with the country covered in snow and ice as temperatures hung around freezing for days.

The last serious snow in Cork was earlier this year when very heavy snow blanketed the country in January. North Cork was one of the most-impacted areas in the country as some families found themselves snowed-in, schools closed, and roads were impassable after heavy snowfall.

Snow plough in action in North Cork(Image: Cork County Council)