Met Éireann has a status yellow weather warning in place until 10am Friday morning. The snow and ice warning applied to Leinster, Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal. It will be cold tonight with some frost and icy patches. Some sleet and snow showers at times too, especially on high ground, but there is also a risk at lower levels, with possibly between 1cm and 3cm locally. Parts of Ulster and Leinster are most at risk later Friday night.

Saturday will be mostly dry with just isolated showers, again some wintry as temperatures remain low. Winds remain moderate to fresh northerly and temperatures between 5°C and 8°C.

Outlook

Saturday night will turn cold and frosty with icy patches as temperatures fall to between -1°C and -4°C. Much of the night will be largely dry with clear skies but later on cloud will thicken in western areas, perhaps bringing some drizzle by morning on to the northwest coast.

A very cold day on Sunday with a frosty start in eastern areas. The cloudier conditions with rain developing in western counties in the morning, will gradually spread eastwards in the afternoon, turning to sleet or wet snow in parts of Ulster and Leinster later in the day. Afternoon temperatures will be just 3°C or 4°C in eastern areas, 6°C or 7°C further west. Winds will be light south or southwest in the early part of the day and will veer northwesterly and freshen as the rain passes over. On Sunday night rain, sleet and snow will turn more showery, with frost developing under clearing skies.

Staying cold for Monday but it’ll be drier overall with some bright spells and scattered wintry showers and the winds will be mainly light, northerly at first then backing westerly. Temperatures on Monday night will be below freezing once again.

A band of rain will move eastwards on Tuesday. Currently it looks like that rain will be heavy and persistent and will affect all areas. Temperatures will be marginally higher though and winds will be generally light.

The further outlook to the end of next week is for a gradual rise in temperatures and mainly westerly winds.

Management this week

Tillage editor Andy Doyle writes that just as land was coming right, another spill of rain has prevented further field work, especially fertilisation, but a forecast drop in temperatures may help keep the pressure off growing plants. To read more from Andy on tillage management this week, click here.

Beef editor Nathan Tuffy gives tips on managing pneumonia and the current grazing difficulties. To read Nathan’s recommendations for this week click here.

Sheep editor Darren Carty makes recommendations on how to ease the workload the weather is causing by not being able to turn young ewes and lambs outdoors. To read Darren’s recommendations for this week click here.

Dairy editor Aidan Brennan covers milk fever, retained cleanings and milk price worries. To read Aidan’s recommendations for this week click here.