Snow showers are set to make a return to the north and north west by the end of the week as temperatures drop back to freezing or low single figures, according to Met Éireann.
Early indications suggest "extremely cold" weather in store next weekend, following relatively mild mid-week conditions Met Éireann forecaster Jim O'Brien said.
"It will certainly be getting much colder by the end of the week with temperatures dropping by day to the low single figures. For Friday we're looking at temperatures of zero to plus four, and Saturday and Sunday are looking much the same."
While temperatures will once again plummet, reaching minus five at night on Friday, most of the country is expected to be free from snow. While the north and north west is set to see wintery showers of snow, sleet or hail, early forecasts suggest that "blanket coverage" of snow isn't likely, Mr O'Brien said.
Day time temperatures up to and including Wednesday, while still below normal for the time of year, should remain high enough for the thaw which set in last week to continue. However any snow remaining on higher ground is unlikely to melt in the coming days.
There will be lots of dry weather for the first few days of the week, but then rain will pass over the country on Thursday, most likely falling as wintery showers in the north and north west.
Thursday, despite the showers, is likely to be one of the milder days of the week with temperatures reaching five to eight degrees. However temperatures are expected to plummet on Thursday night to as low as minus five, bringing a severe frost and risk of icy roads.
While main roads in most parts of the country have been cleared of snow and ice for several days, ungritted footpaths and local roads became more hazardous with snow melting during the day and turning to ice at night. In Donegal treacherous ice sent cars skidding off the roads yesterday as council engineers were caught unawares by an unexpected heavy overnight frost.
Gardaí said Donegal County Council gritters were not out overnight but they were contacted by lunch time yesterday to grit a number of roads covered with black ice.
Roads in south County Donegal, mainly around the Donegal town and Ballyshannon areas, were "like glass" according to one Garda road traffic officer.
Water restrictions remain in place in Dublin city and county and in Wicklow and Kildare until this morning at least. The local authorities will be taking a decision this afternoon as the whether to continue night-time cuts to water supplies during this week.
Brian Smyth, a senior engineer with the city council, said the local authorities "broke even" last Thursday, managing to produce enough water to meet demand. However he said demand remained very high and it may be necessary to continue with restrictions on a more intermittent basis until storage levels at the county's reservoirs increased.
The city council continued clearing paths and suburban roads of compacted ice over the weekend.
