The possibility of Ireland enjoying a white Christmas this year has not been ruled out by Met Éireann, with temperatures expected to plunge on Christmas Eve.
While it has forecast relatively mild weather for much of this week, it expects a sharp drop in temperatures on Friday.
"You certainly could not rule out snow at this stage," Met Éireann meteorologist Dr Aidan Nulty said last night.
"It's very difficult to be certain whether there will be snow. It can't be ruled out for Christmas Eve but it looks like getting milder on Christmas Day so any snow, if it does fall, won't last long.
"It's going to be relatively mild up to Thursday, changeable and often very wild, and temperatures are likely to plunge on Friday," he added.
Some areas of the country already saw snow falls at the weekend. Snow fell in parts of Ulster and north Connacht but it quickly melted. Snow was also forecast for the midlands last night, where temperatures were due to drop as low as minus 2 or 3 degrees. This low air temperature was considered likely to turn a rain belt coming in from the Atlantic to sleet or snow.
Today, the weather will be mixed, with bright or sunny periods and blustery showers. The showers will be fairly frequent in the west and north, but more scattered elsewhere. It will be a cold day everywhere, with temperatures just 5 to 8 degrees in a blustery westerly wind.
Tomorrow will start dry and rather cold, but wet and windy weather will spread in from the Atlantic later, bringing a rise in temperatures. Wednesday and Thursday will be very windy. There will be further rain, mainly in the north and west.