According to Met Éireann, the first few days of 2017 are due to be "very cold", with snow likely to fall on New Year's Day.

However, the weather will remain relatively mild up until that point with most areas staying dry also, albeit with a chance of drizzle.

Temperatures on Friday will range between 10°C and 12°C degrees in moderate or fresh southwesterly breezes, strongest along the north coast.

Saturday (New Year's Eve) will start off dry but persistent rain will move into northern and northwestern counties during the afternoon, spreading countrywide during the evening. It will clear in northern counties later. Highest temperatures of 8°C to 11°C, but becoming colder during the evening in the north as the fresh and gusty southwesterly winds turn northerly.

New Year’s Day then will be a cold day with good sunshine. There will be some scattered showers, mostly in coastal counties, and the possibility of snow or sleet on higher ground, especially in the north and east. Top temperatures will reach just 5°C to 7°C, degrees in moderate north to northeast winds.

Sunday night, however, will be very cold with a widespread severe frost and overnight lows of 0°C to -3°C. Most places will be dry and clear but still a scattering of showers are likely in coastal counties and snow is likely on higher ground.

Conditions will remain much the same for Monday and Tuesday of next week, but indications suggest it will become milder on Wednesday and Thursday, but with some heavy periods of rain.

Management notes

In beef management notes this week, Adam Woods looks at dealing with ringworm in housed stock.

In dairy management, Aidan Brennan says farmers should ignore the kilos of milk PTA, give cows a second dose for fluke and take stock of 2016.

This week's sheep management notes cover feeding of ewe lambs, scanning ewes and the closing date for the current tranche of TAMS.

And in tillage, Andy Doyle advises farmers to use the current slack spell to get old and new crops records up to date and to prepare a plan for the spring and autumn ahead.

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In pictures: 2016 - the weather of the year