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Your daily forecasts from Boards.ie weather forum (NO CHAT)

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  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Saturday, 13 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 13 to 19 March 2021

    -- Temperatures will average near or slightly below normal values.
    -- Rainfall will average 50 per cent of normal, with most of it likely to be done by Monday night.
    -- Sunshine will average at least normal values as rather cloudy skies at first give way to more frequent sunshine.


    FORECASTS

    TODAY will be breezy to windy at times, with passing showers, some with hail or thunder. Highs 8 to 10 C. Winds west to northwest 50 to 80 km/hr with some higher gusts near coasts. About 3 to 7 mm rain likely on average.

    TONIGHT will be overcast with occasional light rain or drizzle, fog or mist patches forming, lows near 5 C.

    SUNDAY will be cloudy with a few breaks, mist or fog over some coastal areas and hills especially in parts of the north, and occasional light rain or drizzle, 2 to 5 mm expected. Highs near 12 C.

    MONDAY will be partly cloudy in most areas, overcast at times near Atlantic coasts with light showers developing by afternoon, lows near 3 C and highs near 12 C.

    TUESDAY will be partly cloudy to sunny, any isolated showers will probably be brief and confined to the morning hours, and it should be relatively mild with morning lows near 2 C and highs near 14 C.

    WEDNESDAY will be sunny with some cloud near coasts, or sea fog drifting inland, morning frosts but rather warm in the sun by mid-day, lows -1 to +3 C and highs 13 to 16 C.

    THURSDAY will begin a slow cooling trend as a slight northeast flow begins. Both THURSDAY and FRIDAY are likely to remain mild in parts of the west and inland south with highs 12 to 15 C there, but cooler near the east coast and in most of Ulster with highs 8 to 11 C there. Night frosts will also continue.

    The OUTLOOK is for this slightly cooler trend to intensify and spread over most of the country by the weekend of 20th-21st, with highs more generally 8 to 12 C, and slight frosts inland.

    The cool, rather dry trend will continue for a while with a more unsettled theme near the end of the following week.

    My local weather on Friday was sunny with highs near 7 C.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Sunday, 14 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 14 to 20 March 2021

    -- Temperatures will average slightly below normal, this due more to cold nights than daytime readings which should average right around long-term normal values.
    -- Rainfalls will average 25 per cent of normal, and will be pretty much done by late Monday.
    -- Sunshine will average near normal to slightly above normal values.


    FORECASTS

    TODAY will be overcast in most regions with outbreaks of light rain or drizzle, and moderate westerly breezes. Any sunshine this morning in Leinster and east Munster will probably fade behind increasing cloud mid-day when those other conditions will also arrive. Highs 10 to 12 C.

    TONIGHT will be misty or overcast but rather mild with lows near 6 C, and patchy light rain or drizzle will continue.

    MONDAY will become partly cloudy in most regions, with some scattered showers developing mainly around the northern coasts and hills, but at times more widespread too, highs near 14 C.

    TUESDAY will be sunny with cloudy intervals and isolated showers, lows near 4 C and highs near 14 C.

    WEDNESDAY will be sunny, hazy and mild in most areas, but cooling sea breezes might set in due to the slack wind gradients inland. Morning lows could be a touch frosty in some inland areas, lows -1 to +4 C, then highs will be generally in the range of 13 to 16 C, possibly held down to near 10 C near some coasts.

    THURSDAY will also be partly cloudy, hazy and still rather mild in the west and some parts of the inland south, but cooler sea breezes will make more substantial progress inland, so with a similar temperature regime but the cooler coastal air more widespread, highs will continue around 12 to 15 C in some areas, 8 to 11 C where sea breezes dominate.

    FRIDAY and SATURDAY will see this regime continuing, perhaps with slight variations in temperature but while it turns substantially colder in some parts of Britain, it looks like Ireland might hold on to more moderate temperatures as the track of this colder air seems to be directed more towards France in northeast breezes. So would expect it to stay partly cloudy, possibly more overcast due to more dominant sea breeze influences, and with temperatures still largely above 10 C in many areas, to around 7-9 C in stronger sea breezes.

    The longer term outlook is not very "high confidence" with this stagnant high appearing destined to drift around in the general vicinity for perhaps another week or so. It could at some point drift far enough west to let in some colder air, but then it could drift far enough south to let in milder flows from the south. The main aspect of the forecast that we can perhaps underline as most likely is dry weather, and rather chilly nights in general, so that spring blooming is likely to be rather slow to develop even if some of the days are reasonably mild. This pattern could begin to break down to a more active Atlantic regime at some point near the end of the following week. Highs in the week of the 21st to 27th most likely to remain in the 10-13 C range but with some chance of drifting a bit higher at times.

    My local weather on Saturday was pleasant, sunshine filtered by high clouds most of the day, a few intervals of brighter sunshine, and highs near 12 C. It kept up the gradual disappearing snow trends, mostly through evaporation (sublimation). There is very little water running off the snow packs although just enough to say that a small amount is melting too. At this rate, about two weeks from now all that would be left of our winter snowpack would be the remnants of plow activity and snow in the back country. Models are showing that kind of weather pattern for us, with a cut off low down over Colorado bringing heavy snows well to the south of here. It has recently turned much colder in eastern regions at least north of about Atlanta, Florida remains in a benign warm air mass as evidenced by the golf coverage from Jacksonville.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Monday, 15 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 15 to 21 March 2021

    -- Temperatures will average near normal values.
    -- Rainfall will be 10 to 25 per cent of normal, and most of that will be today.
    -- Sunshine will be near normal to 25 per cent above normal (probably best towards west coast).


    FORECASTS

    TODAY will be mostly cloudy, rather misty with outbreaks of drizzle or light rain in a few places, becoming somewhat more persistent over western counties later today. Highs 12 to 15 C.

    TONIGHT will be misty with drizzle or light rain in some areas, tending to dry out towards dawn, lows 4 to 7 C.

    TUESDAY will become partly cloudy and in some areas sunny, highs 12 to 15 C.

    WEDNESDAY (17th) will have some morning frost or fog, lows -2 to +3 C, followed by mild to warm sunshine, weak sea breezes may keep a few places somewhat cooler but highs for most 14 to 17 C.

    From THURSDAY to SATURDAY it's a case of this fine weather being cooled down slightly over eastern counties in particular by somewhat more cloud cover, and locally cooling sea breezes, as a light northeasterly wind flow sets in. The least change from mid-week will be felt over the western half of the country which could see highs continuing in the 13 to 16 C range. Further east, that slight cooling will drop highs to 9 to 12 C. Scattered light frosts may continue with cloud cover determining the extent of it.

    From SUNDAY to MONDAY the cooling trend should cease and it could be quite warm again with sunshine in places and highs 13 to 16 C. Increasing cloud late Monday may lead to light rain for some areas Monday night into TUESDAY then partial clearing and near average late March temperatures. The rest of the month will continue with that sort of bland and reasonably warm conditions.

    My local weather on Sunday was overcast but mild enough at about 10 C. We have already moved our clocks forward so until you do the same, only seven hours difference in our time zones.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Tuesday, 16 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS continue dry, with near normal temperatures and sunshine, although rather warm at first.

    FORECASTS

    TODAY will see gradual clearing of fog and mist, although it may be rather a slow clearing trend in some areas near the south coast. Warming to around 15 or 16 C where the sun does win out, highs 10 to 12 C in any onshore or persistent coastal cloud.

    TONIGHT will be partly cloudy to clear, with fog and frost developing in a few spots, lows -2 to +4 C.

    WEDNESDAY (17th) will be hazy, sunny except for some areas of persistent low cloud near a few coastlines, and warm inland. Highs 14 to 17 C except held down to 10-12 C under any cloud.

    THURSDAY will likely see a similar day in some parts of the inland counties, but more extensive coastal cloud seems likely, with both the north and east coasts prone to cooling sea breezes and onshore low cloud. Morning lows around 1 to 4 C, highs 10 to 13 C under cloud, 13 to 15 C where cloud breaks.

    FRIDAY to SUNDAY will see little change to this pattern with perhaps a bit more sunshine by the weekend than on Friday, highs in the same temperature range dependent on cloud cover. It will continue to be more likely that coastal areas will see more persistent cloud and cooler temperatures than well inland.

    This pattern may be slow to break down next week, but eventually there should be a return to more mobile weather patterns, rather warm at that time since the flow may turn more southwesterly.

    My local weather on Monday was overcast with a few brighter spells by afternoon although cloud never totally broke up, as we entered a slightly cooler air mass after a dry frontal passage overnight, highs reaching about 8 C. It now looks as though the eastern U.S. will have one last gasp of wintry weather later this week now that much colder air has invaded the region, a low will try to push that away but snow or sleet seems likely to be the result.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Wednesday, 17 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 17 to 23 March 2021

    -- Temperatures will average near normal values.
    -- Rainfall will be almost nil until late in the interval when chances increase for small amounts, 25% of normal possibly.
    -- Sunshine will be near average but rather variable from place to place.


    FORECASTS

    TODAY will feature some areas of warm sunshine, these most likely in the midlands, inland south and east, and some areas of low cloud and local mist or drizzle, more likely near all coasts and across parts of Connacht and Ulster. Highs will depend on sunshine breaking through, and could reach 15 or 16 C in some places, otherwise 10 to 12 C seems more likely. Light winds but a tendency for onshore northwest to northeast sea breezes.

    TONIGHT will continue this mixture of clear skies and low cloud, and where the skies are clear at first, dense fog or frost could be the result locally. Lows -1 to +4 C.

    THURSDAY to SATURDAY the pattern does not change much, but local weather conditions may change from day to day as the distribution of clear skies and cloud cover changes -- the trend is likely to be towards more cloud and less sunshine but not so marked that we can say with much assurance that entire regions will change from the warmer variety of outcomes to cooler. So what you have today is perhaps fairly likely to be repeated for several days, with the caveat that a few places near boundaries will probably take the more pessimistic path as cloud cover gradually expands. Temperatures each day will be dependent on any sunshine getting through, and will fall into similar ranges with (14-15) or without (10-13) sunshine. Nights will also continue to show a variety of cloud cover and associated low temperatures in the range of about -1 to +4 C.

    By SUNDAY a weak disturbance moving in from the Atlantic may actually help clear the skies in some areas because of increased wind speeds, but at the price of a few scattered showers moving in from the west. Highs will be in the range of 12 to 15 C.

    Next week looks like a slow change from this settled pattern with limited air movement, to a more mobile pattern with passing frontal systems and a variety of sky conditions including a few showers moving through, with temperatures either near average or slightly above normal in parts of the east and south.

    Hope you enjoy the day regardless of the weather that's in it -- my local weather on Tuesday was very nice, sunshine all day long and feeling quite warm out of the breeze although the high was probably only about 10 C, you could convince yourself it was 15 if the remnant snow cover was out of sight. The nights turn quite cold in this clear air and even by sunset it was close to freezing again. A rather active low has formed over Texas and is moving towards the Ohio valley, widespread severe thunderstorms are likely in the southeastern states for about the next two days, and while most of the precip currently over the central states is rain, a sleet-snow mixture may develop when this low contacts much colder air in place over New England and the lower Great Lakes region.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Thursday, 18 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 18 to 24 March 2021

    -- Temperatures will average near normal values.
    -- Rainfall may amount to 25 per cent of normal, mainly towards end of the interval.
    -- Sunshine will average 75 per cent of normal values, but with considerable variation place to place.


    FORECASTS

    TODAY will start out with widespread mist and low cloud. Some areas may brighten around late morning or mid-day and warm up again to 13-15 C, places that remain under cloud will have temperatures closer to 11-12 C.

    TONIGHT will be misty with lows generally 4 to 7 C.

    FRIDAY will bring a mixture of cloud and brighter spells although full sunshine will be restricted to a few locations in the inland south possibly. Highs in a similar range to today depending on any sunshine.

    SATURDAY will become more partly cloudy and highs will reach 12 to 15 C.

    SUNDAY looks partly cloudy also, with late afternoon or evening showers approaching Atlantic coastal counties, but only small amounts of rain overnight into early Monday. Highs on Sunday around 12 to 15 C.

    MONDAY will be partly cloudy with showers (amounts generally only 1-3 mm) and highs 12 to 15 C.

    TUESDAY could be a bit warmer in a stronger south to southwest flow, highs 13 to 17 C.

    WEDNESDAY looks like a transition to more active weather with intervals of light rain and highs near 14 C.

    From THURSDAY to end of the month, rather unsettled weather will take over and rain will likely return in more significant amounts, although nothing overly heavy is indicated at this point.

    My local weather on Wednesday featured sunshine slowly dimmed by increasing high cloud, and highs around 10 C.
    We were down in the valley for a while where there's no snow left at all, about half way up to this location, just patchy snow cover, up here still 20-30 cm of dry, crusty snow that has become rather icy but they say it's still good ski-ing in the alpine above our location.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Friday, 19 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 19 to 25 March 2021

    -- Temperatures will average near or slightly above normal values.
    -- Rainfall will be slight until around Wednesday and will eventually total 25 to 50 per cent of normal amounts.
    -- Sunshine will be near average, trending below normal near west and north coasts.


    FORECASTS

    TODAY ... Some places will have a bright start to the day and some sunshine at times, warming up to 13-15 C as a result. That's more likely in the south and east. Cloud will be more prevalent in the west and north but a few brighter spells can't be ruled out there, highs most likely 11 to 13 C.

    TONIGHT ... Partly cloudy to overcast, fog and mist developing, lows 4 to 7 C.

    SATURDAY ... Partly cloudy to overcast skies will continue with the same general results as today, highs 12 to 15 C and best chances for sunshine east and south.

    SUNDAY ... Cloud cover may be somewhat more widespread by Sunday with a few showers near Atlantic coasts, lows near 5 C and highs 11 to 14 C.

    MONDAY ... Partly to mostly cloudy, a few showers mostly in Connacht and west Ulster, small rainfall amounts expected (2-4 mm), lows near 6 C and highs 11 to 14 C.

    TUESDAY ... A stronger south to southwest wind will develop (40 to 70 km/hr), skies will be variable and temperatures rather warm, lows near 7 C and highs 13 to 16 C. Some rain by late in the day in the west.

    WEDNESDAY ... Rain or showers at times, rather windy (southwest 40 to 70 km/hr), lows near 7 C and highs 11 to 14 C.

    THURSDAY and FRIDAY are likely to turn rather cold in a strong westerly flow that will have swept in from higher latitudes, lows 3 to 6 C and highs 9 to 13 C, occasional passing showers may be heavy at times with hail possible.

    The weather pattern beyond that looks variable, windy at times, with temperatures close to seasonal averages.

    My local weather on Thursday was mainly cloudy but bright with the sun sometimes casting weak shadows, and mild with highs 12 to 17 C around the region. Some light rain just began in the past hour. A mix of sleet and snow is approaching southern New England and the New York City area after a cold rain for much of the day earlier. Severe storms have now moved through most of the southeastern states and that front is heading out to sea.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Saturday, 20 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 20 to 26 March 2021

    -- Temperatures will average near or slightly above normal values.
    -- Rainfall will resume in gradual increments later in the period but won't amount to much more than half of normal, possibly less for eastern and southern counties.
    -- Sunshine will likely work out near average overall, with a tendency for higher amounts in the east.


    FORECASTS

    TODAY will be similar to the past few days in most areas, some sunny breaks will develop in the east and south mainly, with highs 13 to 15 C there, and it will stay more overcast near the west coast and across parts of the north with highs 10 to 12 C. Winds will continue light northerly with onshore sea breezes in some areas.

    TONIGHT will be overcast with lows 4 to 7 C.

    SUNDAY will be partly cloudy again with some decent sunny intervals likely in the east and south, highs in a similar range to today, 13-15 C where bright and 10-12 C under dull cloudy skies.

    MONDAY will present very little change, a disturbance moving past the northwest coast now looks less likely to have much influence on land other than perhaps in a few parts of Connacht, where one or two showers may develop. So it will be another day of mixed cloud and sunshine with highs 12 to 14 C.

    TUESDAY the slack wind gradient comes to an end and south to southwest winds 40 to 70 km/hr will develop. There could be some sunshine in the southeast but cloud will probably increase in most areas and rain could follow near the west coast, albeit rather light (2-5 mm). Highs 13 to 17 C.

    WEDNESDAY will have variable amounts of cloud and a few intervals of light rain as fronts redevelop, highs 12 to 15 degrees.

    THURSDAY and FRIDAY look rather cool by comparison with strong westerly winds at times, and outbreaks of rain, highs around 10 C.

    By SATURDAY 28th it will become quite windy as a stronger Atlantic storm system passes close to the west coast, winds could increase to the 50-80 km/hr range if not higher, with rain and highs near 14 C. This system will pull away slowly on Sunday 29th when it will remain windy with showers and highs near 11 C.

    The following week leading up to Easter weekend looks fairly settled with high pressure returning and eventually turning winds more to an easterly direction. That may be followed by a more unsettled theme closer to the Easter weekend but at that time range a different trend may be in the works before long.

    My local weather on Friday turned a bit cooler with passing snow showers despite temperatures close to 8 C in partly cloudy spells, but when the snow showers moved through the temperature fell several degrees with swirling winds blowing the snow pellets and road grit (which is widespread after our winter) in an odd combination, sort of a dappled duststorm.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Sunday, 21 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 21 to 27 March 2021

    -- Temperatures will remain near normal values, somewhat colder than average at times late in the week though.
    -- Rainfall will gradually increase to about half of normal values, possibly up to 75% near Atlantic coasts.
    -- Sunshine will average about 75% of normal values (by now, normal is close to four hours a day).

    FORECASTS

    TODAY will bring another mixture of cloud and brighter spells with highs reaching 12 to 15 C. There are a few very light rain showers around this morning but no significant amounts are expected to fall.

    TONIGHT will be partly cloudy to overcast with drizzle near west coast at times, lows 4 to 7 C.

    MONDAY will be partly cloudy east, to overcast west, with a few light showers there. Highs 13 to 15 C.

    TUESDAY will become more breezy with intervals of rain developing near Atlantic coasts, spreading further east overnight. Lows near 7 C and highs near 14 C. Winds increasing to south-southwest 40 to 70 km/hr.

    WEDNESDAY will be cloudy with a few brighter intervals and passing showers, fresh west-southwest winds of about 50 to 70 km/hr, and highs near 14 C.

    THURSDAY will become windy and rather cold with widespread showers turning sleety on hills and temperatures dropping from mid-day readings around 8 C to late afternoon and evening temperatures near 4 C.

    FRIDAY will remain windy and cold, winds westerly 70 to 100 km/hr and passing sleety or wintry showers possible, some snow accumulations possible on northern hilly terrain. Lows 2 to 4 C and highs 5 to 9 C.

    SATURDAY seems likely to remain windy but turn milder with rain at times, winds southwest 70 to 110 km/hr, and highs near 14 C.

    SUNDAY will have westerly winds remaining blustery and temperatures around 10 C.

    The following week looks variable in a continuing active Atlantic driven southwest to west flow, temperatures sometimes dropping back to lower levels when winds turn more northwesterly.

    My local weather on Saturday was colder than we have had for several weeks, highs barely above freezing and passing showers of snow pellets with gusty winds at times.

    The spring equinox has already passed, in case you were wondering, it happened on Saturday at 0937h IST.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Sunday, 21 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 21 to 27 March 2021

    -- Temperatures will remain near normal values, somewhat colder than average at times late in the week though.
    -- Rainfall will gradually increase to about half of normal values, possibly up to 75% near Atlantic coasts.
    -- Sunshine will average about 75% of normal values (by now, normal is close to four hours a day).

    FORECASTS

    TODAY will bring another mixture of cloud and brighter spells with highs reaching 12 to 15 C. There are a few very light rain showers around this morning but no significant amounts are expected to fall.

    TONIGHT will be partly cloudy to overcast with drizzle near west coast at times, lows 4 to 7 C.

    MONDAY will be partly cloudy east, to overcast west, with a few light showers there. Highs 13 to 15 C.

    TUESDAY will become more breezy with intervals of rain developing near Atlantic coasts, spreading further east overnight. Lows near 7 C and highs near 14 C. Winds increasing to south-southwest 40 to 70 km/hr.

    WEDNESDAY will be cloudy with a few brighter intervals and passing showers, fresh west-southwest winds of about 50 to 70 km/hr, and highs near 14 C.

    THURSDAY will become windy and rather cold with widespread showers turning sleety on hills and temperatures dropping from mid-day readings around 8 C to late afternoon and evening temperatures near 4 C.

    FRIDAY will remain windy and cold, winds westerly 70 to 100 km/hr and passing sleety or wintry showers possible, some snow accumulations possible on northern hilly terrain. Lows 2 to 4 C and highs 5 to 9 C.

    SATURDAY seems likely to remain windy but turn milder with rain at times, winds southwest 70 to 110 km/hr, and highs near 14 C.

    SUNDAY will have westerly winds remaining blustery and temperatures around 10 C.

    The following week looks variable in a continuing active Atlantic driven southwest to west flow, temperatures sometimes dropping back to lower levels when winds turn more northwesterly.

    My local weather on Saturday was colder than we have had for several weeks, highs barely above freezing and passing showers of snow pellets with gusty winds at times.

    The spring equinox has already passed, in case you were wondering, it happened on Saturday at 0937h IST.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Monday, 22 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 22 to 28 March 2021

    -- Temperatures will average near normal values, generally 1-2 above normal but quite cold around Friday.
    -- Rainfall will slowly return to the weather picture and by end of this interval may have reached near normal at least in the west, possibly 50-75 per cent of normal for the east by then.
    -- Sunshine will only reach 50 to 75 per cent of normal. This current regime of very light winds will slowly be replaced by more moderate or average range of wind speeds and after that, quite windy conditions by Thursday on.


    FORECASTS

    TODAY will be cloudy with a few breaks, generally dry with a slight chance of light showers in the west, and highs in the range of 12 to 14 C.

    TONIGHT will be overcast with lows near 7 C.

    TUESDAY will be mostly cloudy, moderate south to southwest winds will set in by afternoon, and some rain will arrive in the west around mid-day reaching the east by evening. About 5-10 mm amounts are expected, with highs in the range of 13 to 16 C, mildest inland southeast.

    WEDNESDAY will be partly to mostly cloudy with a few showers and moderate southwest winds, lows near 6 C and highs near 14 C.

    THURSDAY will become more windy by afternoon and evening with rain at times, 5-10 mm amounts expected, and while temperatures may start out relatively mild, it will turn colder late in the day, highs near 12 C mid-day then falling to 4-7 C.

    FRIDAY will be windy and quite cold for time of year with passing sleety or even wintry showers, some chance of snow on hills in the north and west, lows near 2 C and highs near 7 C. Winds southwest to west 50 to 80 km/hr.

    SATURDAY and SUNDAY both look rather windy with intervals of rain although some dry spells too, milder again with temperatures recovering to around 14 C, winds south-southwest 70 to 110 km/hr at times, and risk of strong wind gusts developing in exposed northern areas.

    This windy regime is expected to moderate by Monday with the southerly flow becoming more westerly and temperatures near 12 C. Later in the week towards the Easter weekend the current indications are for improving weather due to high pressure being near Ireland by mid-week on, details a bit uncertain with some indications of the flow turning southeasterly but staying fairly mild.

    My local weather on Sunday was overcast and chilly with snow showers turning to more persistent wet snow that left a slushy accumulation of about 2-4 cms and has tapered off to drizzly sleet at this point. Our first go at spring has blown up on the launching pad so it's on to the next attempt now.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Tuesday, 23 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 23 to 29 Mar 2021

    -- Temperatures will average near normal, often slightly above average but briefly quite cold around Friday, it should balance out to near the long-term average for late March.
    -- Rainfall will gradually begin to pick up and could accumulate enough to reach near average amounts by the end of next weekend, although parts of the east and south are likely to remain relatively dry (50% of average).
    -- Sunshine will be rather infrequent and winds will become moderate for several days and occasionally strong around Friday-Saturday.


    FORECASTS

    TODAY ... Mostly cloudy with outbreaks of light rain gradually spreading into western counties with winds southwest at about 40-70 km/hr, highs 11 to 14 C. The rain may not reach the east coast until this evening.

    TONIGHT... Occasional rain, moderate southwest winds, lows near 7 C. Total rainfalls 5-10 mm.

    WEDNESDAY ... Variable cloud, passing showers, relatively mild with highs 12 to 14 C.

    THURSDAY ... Increasing cloud, intervals of rain, temperatures steady near 12 C. Turning much cooler in the late afternoon and evening especially in Connacht, west Ulster and parts of west Munster. Winds southwest 50 to 80 km/hr. Temperatures will be falling steadily overnight.

    FRIDAY ... Windy and cold with passing showers, some sleety or even wintry on hills in north and west. Winds southwest 50 to 80 km/hr. Lows near 2 C and highs 6 to 9 C.

    SATURDAY ... Continued windy, but turning milder in stages, quite mild by afternoon and evening when temperatures will peak at around 14 C. Winds southwest 70 to 90 km/hr, possibly stronger near exposed Atlantic coasts. Occasional rain but it may only be intermittent or drizzly away from the northwest coasts.

    SUNDAY ... Little change now expected except that rain will be less frequent than Saturday, continued windy and mild with temperatures steady 13 to 15 C. Probably cloudy in most areas, but could become brighter at times in parts of the southeast.

    MONDAY to THURSDAY of next week now pose a challenge -- one leading model continues that theme discussed earlier of higher pressure bringing a pleasant spell of weather especially towards the first part of the Easter weekend, and that's the U.S. guidance, but interestingly, the Canadian now sides with the European model which often means this is what will actually happen, as they often come at things from different input, so when I see a consensus from them it makes a mark, let's see what happens, in this case they both say it won't turn settled but back to more unsettled conditions as disturbances drop south from near Iceland and usher in a cold north to northeast flow that is supposed to last through the Easter weekend (the U.S. guidance had this coming in around Easter Sunday, so it does seem more or less high probability of happening at some point during if not before that weekend). This could all change before we get really close to Easter of course. The degree of cold predicted by these various models (once they have it in place) is considerable, like a late blast of wintry weather that probably almost nobody really wants to see with spring gradually settling in. Current maps would suggest potential for mixed wintry showers and temperatures quite low, 3 to 6 C possibly. The main difference then is whether this would wait until near the end of the weekend, or be in place for quite a few days before that (from about the 31st on, according to the two models in agreement).

    We're certainly not avoiding wintry weather here, almost the entire day was bleak with nasty graupel showers, that's a sort of mixed bag of snow pellets and ice pellets, and a hard hat would have been a good choice for anyone going out in it, temperatures held down to about 2 or 3 C with gusty winds at times. We hope to be sending this on its way to the east so we can get our Pacific warmth back in place.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Wednesday, 24 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 24 to 30 Mar 2021

    -- Temperatures will average near normal, but briefly quite cold around Friday, also turning colder in stages next week, it should balance out to near the long-term average for late March, but the second week in the outlook period on current guidance would be 3-5 degrees below average (going from 31st to 7th April).
    -- Rainfall will gradually begin to pick up and could accumulate enough to reach near average amounts by the end of next weekend, although parts of the east and south are likely to remain relatively dry (50% of average).
    -- Sunshine will be rather infrequent and winds will become moderate for several days and occasionally strong around Friday-Saturday.


    FORECASTS

    TODAY ... A mixture of cloud and sunny breaks for most, increasing cloud by afternoon, passing showers spreading gradually from west to east, relatively mild with highs 12 to 14 C.

    TONIGHT ... Mostly cloudy, occasional light rain, lows near 8 C.

    THURSDAY ... Increasing cloud, intervals of rain, temperatures steady near 12 C. Turning much cooler in the late afternoon and evening especially in Connacht, west Ulster and parts of west Munster. Winds southwest 50 to 80 km/hr. Temperatures will be falling steadily overnight.

    FRIDAY ... Windy and cold with passing showers, some sleety or even wintry on hills in north and west. Winds southwest 50 to 80 km/hr. Lows near 2 C and highs 6 to 9 C.

    SATURDAY ... Continued windy, but turning milder in stages, quite mild by afternoon and evening when temperatures will peak at around 14 C (it may be closer to 8-10 C mid-day with the morning low probably not much above freezing; Saturday night looks a lot milder). Winds southwest 70 to 90 km/hr, possibly stronger near exposed Atlantic coasts. Occasional rain but it may only be intermittent or drizzly away from the northwest coasts.

    SUNDAY ... Little change now expected except that rain will be less frequent than Saturday, continued windy and mild with temperatures steady 12 to 14 C. Probably cloudy in most areas, but could become brighter at times in parts of the southeast.

    MONDAY ... Occasional light rain, temperatures steady near 10 C.

    NEXT WEEK ... The models have already kissed and made up, with that disparity I mentioned yesterday gone, just minor details different now -- it certainly looks cold for most of next week and especially cold by the Easter weekend as a slow decline in temperature mid-week turns into more of a plunge to wintry levels by Good Friday (2nd of April) and temperatures quite possibly near freezing much of the time over Easter, which may promote some local wintry falls of snow or sleet. Still time for this to moderate of course, but quite a strong and consistent signal for this lead time.

    My local weather improved, still in the cool air mass but with sunshine most of the day, the high struggled up to about 5 or 6 C, ice lingers in the shade though, along with small remnants of the snow that fell (which was never very much). That old winter snow pack gets a bit crustier each day and now averages about 30 cms where it hasn't been disturbed.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Thursday, 25 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 25 to 31 Mar 2021 --

    -- Temperatures will average 1 to 2 deg below normal, but briefly milder around Sunday-Monday.
    -- Rainfalls will probably total near normal amounts in the west, but only about half that in the east.
    -- Sunshine will be rather infrequent and 50 to 75 per cent of normal amounts, wind speeds will be fairly typical of this time of year except for some stronger gusts on Friday and Saturday.

    FORECASTS

    TODAY will become mostly cloudy with passing showers, rather light and infrequent at first, then heavier towards the late afternoon and evening. Winds southwest 30 to 50 km/hr will increase to 50 to 70 km/hr by evening. Temperatures will be steady around 10 to 12 C with a rather sharp decline expected this evening from west to east.

    TONIGHT will become windy with some heavy showers and risk of a thunderstorm, then after some partial clearing, mixed wintry showers may set in over parts of the west and north by morning. Lows 2 to 4 C. Winds southwest to west 50 to 80 km/hr.

    FRIDAY will be windy and cold with outbreaks of sleet or wet snow in parts of the north and west, heavier on high ground where some snow could accumulate. Mixed wintry showers including hail and thunder will be prevalent in the east and south. Winds westerly 50 to 80 km/hr, highs only 5 to 9 C.

    SATURDAY will remain quite windy, with some clear intervals at first, morning lows 1 to 4 C, then not as cold by afternoon and evening as southwest winds rise to about 70 to 110 km/hr, intervals of rain likely especially over the west and north where 10-20 mm possible. Highest temperatures by evening 11 to 14 C.

    SUNDAY will remain breezy and mild across the south, with a significant temperature gradient across the northern counties, temperatures steady 10 to 13 C south, 8 to 10 C central, and 5 to 8 C north. Some rain at times near this frontal boundary. Winds not as strong but steady in the 40 to 70 km/hr range from southwest (more westerly in the cooler north).

    MONDAY will be quite mild especially across the south where 14 to 16 C is possible, with the frontal divide still in place and readings closer to 8 C further north. Occasional showers although the front will be drying out to just a band of mid-level cloud eventually. A little breezy at times in the south.

    TUESDAY will see colder air pushing in from the north and spreading to the south coast during the afternoon, with falling temperatures in most regions, ending up around 3 C north, 7 C south. Winds turning northerly 30 to 50 km/hr and isolated showers in partly cloudy skies.

    WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY will be cool and dry with slight frosts possible and highs 7 to 10 C. There could be some sunny breaks. Around Thursday night an even colder air mass will arrive from the arctic on north to northeast winds that may become quite gusty at times on GOOD FRIDAY (2nd April) and then it will remain quite cold through the EASTER WEEKEND with highs all three (or four) days near 5 C and chance of mixed wintry showers in strong north to northeast winds, some frosts at night also. This cold spell appears likely to moderate gradually during the week after Easter.

    My local weather on Wednesday was overcast with light snow and highs of about 2 C. There wasn't much accumulation and what is left of this should melt quickly if there's any sunshine on Thursday despite cold temperatures staying in place for one more day.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Friday, 26 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for week of 26 Mar to 1 Apr 2021 --

    -- Temperatures will average 1 to 3 deg below normal values.
    -- Rainfall will total about 75% of normal in the west and north, to 25% in the southeast.
    -- Sunshine may eventually catch up to normal amounts later in the period. It will be quite windy today and Saturday, moderately windy thereafter.


    FORECASTS

    TODAY will be cold with passing mixed wintry showers. Some of the more vigorous showers could have hail and thunder, and other mixed forms like snow pellets (the faster they fall, the less time they have to melt). There will also be breaks in the overcast and sunny intervals, those probably longer in Leinster and Munster. Highs only reaching 5 to 9 C, and temperatures prone to falling to near freezing during any heavy mixed showers, which may leave some higher elevation roads slippery from snow or hail covering from time to time. Winds southwest to west at about 50 to 80 km/hr adding considerable chill (although the late March sun has the opposite effect).

    TONIGHT will continue windy and cold but most of the mixed wintry showers should die out for a while, if any persist they could turn to steady light snow on hills. Lows -1 to +3 C.

    SATURDAY will have slowly rising temperatures all day continuing into the evening and overnight hours, as much milder air from the Atlantic gradually replaces this cold sector, with temperatures likely to be around 6-9 C mid-day and up to 10-13 C in the late afternoon and evening. Winds southwest 50-80 km/hr and some higher gusts likely in Connacht and west Ulster. Occasional rain will develop in those areas, but it may stay fairly dry in the southeast.

    SUNDAY will be breezy and quite mild in most areas, highs 12 to 15 C, possibly a bit lower in north Connacht and most of Ulster at 8-10 C. Winds southwest 40-70 km/hr. Some outbreaks of drizzle or light rain near a frontal band across the north, probably staying dry in some parts of the south however.

    MONDAY will be mild too with some sunny breaks, a few outbreaks of light rain crossing northern counties, and highs reaching 12-16 C in many areas (9-11 C north).

    TUESDAY the south will start out in that milder air mass but much colder air will press in rapidly from the north, anywhere that makes it to 10 C will probably fall back to about 7 C which will be typical for most of the northern half of the country, in partly cloudy skies. A few showers along this front might linger near the south coast until near the end of the afternoon. Winds turning northerly at 40-60 km/hr.

    WEDNESDAY will be quite cold with north to northeast winds, lows -2 to +3 C and highs 5 to 9 C, some chance of a few mixed wintry showers over higher ground, but also some sunny intervals.

    THURSDAY will also be rather cold with frosts and highs reaching about 8 to 10 C.

    The guidance at present has diverged a little on the details of the cold spell after that, some indications that a more moderate wedge of high pressure will save parts of the Easter weekend from being exceptionally cold, but this is no guarantee as other guidance resists this change, and in any case, it would be a brief interruption with unseasonable wintry chill returning at some point around Easter Sunday in any case. That could persist into part of the following week before there is much moderation. Anyway, lots of time left before this becomes an immediate forecast concern and some chance of it totally changing to a different outlook the way the models have been performing in recent months. (maybe they caught a virus?)

    My local weather was partly cloudy with passing showers, some of them mixed (although not as windy as you have it today, basically the same weather set-up here). Highs were in the range of 5 to 10 C by elevation. The snow line has crept up to around 700 metres now with the first spring flowers showing up in the valley, something we won't be seeing up here for at least a month. Our elevation difference of 500 metres produces the same weather differences as you would associate with going north for about five hundred kilometres.

    Anyway, stay safe if you have to drive anywhere today, conditions could be changeable and especially so if you're located in the west or north.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Saturday, 27 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 27 Mar to 2 Apr 2021

    -- Temperatures will average about 1-2 deg above normal values. It will be turning a lot colder near the end of this interval, but touching values of near 4-5 deg above normal Monday and possibly Tuesday (at least in the south).
    -- Rainfall will average 50 to 75 per cent of normal in the north and west, to 25 per cent in the southeast.
    -- Sunshine will average 75 per cent of normal, although some improvements due by Monday-Tuesday in that regard, and it will be rather windy over the weekend with more average wind speeds most of the week.


    FORECASTS

    TODAY will be mostly cloudy and while it starts out quite cold, slowly rising temperatures all day will peak by this evening at 10-12 C. Winds southwest 30-50 km/hr will increase later to 50-80 km/hr and some gusts to around 100 km/hr on exposed coasts by evening. Rainfalls of 5-10 mm likely in the west and north with some heavier bursts by late in the afternoon. This rain may be quite patchy over the inland south and east and it may remain dry for some south and east coast locations.

    TONIGHT will continue rather windy and mild with temperatures generally near 10 C, occasional light rain and winds southwest 40-70 km/hr.

    SUNDAY will be a breezy and mild day with further outbreaks of light rain, mostly in west-central to inland northern counties where 5-10 mm is possible. Further south, a few brighter intervals are likely and the rain may be quite intermittent. Highs 11-14 C for most, 8-11 C north.

    MONDAY will become partly cloudy and very mild in many areas, with some further rain likely in parts of the west and north for a time, and moderate southwest winds continuing. Lows 4 to 7 C and highs 14 to 18 C.

    TUESDAY the push of colder air looks a bit weaker now which may mean a further day of mild weather in the south and some central counties; the colder air mass may eventually drop temperatures a few degrees across the north, so starting out with readings of 10-13 C in most areas, rising slightly across the south to 14-16 C, falling slowly in the north to around 7 C. A few isolated showers are likely with weak frontal troughs moving south late in the day.

    WEDNESDAY is likely to see a further gradual push of cooler air but high pressure ridging across the country may prevent much disturbed weather, just a slow infiltration of the cooler air, with lows 5-8 C and highs 11-13 C except possibly a bit colder in Ulster.

    THURSDAY to SATURDAY as the Easter weekend sets in, some uncertainty as to the details, probably quite cool with the more northerly high starting to dominate and spreading cooler air in from the northeast, some guidance still showing a more disturbed showery flow but on balance, most likely to be just isolated showers and some could be wintry at least on higher ground. Highs most likely in the 5 to 10 C range, with slight frosts returning. Some chance of it being either a bit milder near the south coast, or alternatively somewhat colder in some northern areas than the range above.

    By EASTER SUNDAY most guidance still going for rather cold and increasingly unsettled weather. So for now we'll say a rough estimate of near 5-6 C and the risk of mixed wintry showers in north to northeast winds.

    Some guidance is suggesting that this rather cold air is now just a leading edge of a really cold air mass that may try to push south out of the arctic regions, which may lead to stronger northerly winds and a higher risk of mixed wintry forms of precipitation by about Monday-Tuesday (5-6 Apr). After that, the Atlantic seems determined to push back which could lead to some blocked low pressure systems swirling around near the south coast, which could produce unpleasant cold rain if not wintry mixtures. Once this colder regime sets in, it could take a week or two for a return to more normal spring-like weather, so enjoy this brief warm spell coming up.

    My local weather on Friday here was overcast with highs near 7 C as we enter into a very slow warming trend.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Sunday, 28 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 28 Mar to 3 Apr 2021

    -- Temperatures will average 2 to 4 deg above normal values. The colder push expected some time around the middle to end of the week has been pushed back a few days and this milder trend may persist even into the Easter weekend although with the changes from day to day on model runs, nothing should be taken as guaranteed yet.
    -- Rainfall will likely average about 50 per cent of normal in a few parts of the west but otherwise closer to 25 per cent.
    -- Sunshine will improve through the week and may end up above normal eventually. Winds have peaked now and will be mostly moderate or near the average range for most of this interval.


    FORECASTS

    TODAY will be partly cloudy to overcast in the south and overcast in other areas, with scattered showers or outbreaks of rain, generally rather patchy with amounts about 5 to 10 mm. It will become milder again with highs in the 12 to 15 C range, possibly held down a bit in the north. Winds southwest 40 to 60 km/hr at times.

    TONIGHT will feature some drizzle, fog and mist in some areas, and mild overnight lows of 5 to 8 C.

    MONDAY will become partly cloudy with any lingering drizzle or rain increasingly confined to the northwest. Moderate south to southwest breezes and very mild with highs 13 to 17 C.

    TUESDAY will continue very mild with some hazy sunshine, lows 5 to 8 C and highs 14 to 18 C.

    The interval from WEDNESDAY to EASTER SUNDAY is now subject to a changed outlook in general with models starting to delay the arrival of the much colder air to the night of the 4th-5th. High pressure that will now apparently rule the roost for a while is somewhat cooler than the very mild spell ahead but not that cool either, with the full sunshine of early April to help out, highs could be in the comfortable 9 to 14 C range with northeast breezes in some areas holding temperatures down somewhat. I am not entirely confident this is the last large-scale change the models may make and so would caution that a colder outlook could return to the scene, but for now this is what the guidance is telling us (I am but the messenger etc ) ... this settled spell should be fairly cool at night once the higher pressure sets in and some slight frosts or patchy shallow fog in valleys can be expected towards dawn most days in this interval.

    The same charts that have delayed the cold spell have also made it even more ferocious when it does arrive, which is not something that I entirely accept given this history of frequent change, but be aware that according to global models which have cost a lot more money than you or I will ever see, record breaking cold will advance from the highest latitudes that money can buy (they run out at the north pole) and swoop down on Britain and Ireland around the end of the Easter weekend and hold sway for Monday, Tuesday (5-6 Apr) before slowly relenting. That could mean temperatures down around record low values for those dates and at least mixed wintry showers (if any of it actually happens). It will be an interesting few days for weather watchers and all we can say at this early stage is, proof is in the pudding so to speak, that could all look a bit over-cooked by the time it's supposed to arrive.

    My local weather was a bit milder on Saturday with a lot of mid-level cloud around, brisk southerly breezes and highs pushing up a bit above 10 degrees.

    (just a note for one or two people perhaps, we're now on to summer time, or more accurately, you are now on to it, I had the privilege two weeks ago, so if it suddenly appears to be an hour later than you expected, there's the reason for it, clocks moved ahead overnight from 0100h to 0200h, if the police ask you where you were at 0130h give them a blank stare and an enigmatic smile.)


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Monday, 29 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 29 Mar to 4 Apr 2021 --

    -- Temperatures will average 3 to 4 deg above normal values.
    -- Rainfall will average 25% of normal in the northwest, to near zero in many other areas.
    -- Sunshine will average 25 to 50 per cent above normal values; wind speeds will be about average.

    FORECASTS

    TODAY will start out cloudy and misty in places with rain continuing over Donegal for much of the morning and early afternoon, while other counties except for portions close to Donegal will likely stay dry after patchy light drizzle ends. Mild or even warm by afternoon except in parts of the northwest and a few locations prone to onshore south winds, highs 14 to 17 C for most and near 12 C in those few other locations. Moderate southwest winds backing to southerly later.

    TONIGHT will be hazy with some patchy mist or fog developing, mild with lows 7 to 10 C.

    TUESDAY will feature hazy sunshine and warm temperatures with highs 15 to 18 C (except for a few spots near the south coast where sea fog may drift in at times and hold temperatures down to 10-12 C).

    WEDNESDAY will turn considerably cooler in many areas as winds turn northeasterly at 30-50 km/hr, some rain returning to Donegal and spreading down the west coast during the day (5-10 mm possible). Mostly cloudy elsewhere but some brighter intervals persisting in the southeast where it may remain somewhat warmer. Morning lows in all areas around 8 C but temperatures only edging back up slightly in the north and west to 10-12 C, recovering to 14-16 C in the southeast.

    THURSDAY while the winds remain easterly, the fresher variety of air mass will be gradually moderating back to pleasant spring warmth, with lows 4-7 C and highs 12-15 C. With the east wind, it would be the Leinster coastline seeing some local cooling from sea breezes. Skies may start out rather cloudy becoming at least partly sunny by mid-day and afternoon.

    (GOOD) FRIDAY will remain dry and mixtures of cloud and sun in east winds of 30-50 km/hr, morning lows 2-5 C and afternoon highs 13-16 C with some cooler readings possible in the east.

    SATURDAY will remain similar with partly cloudy skies, less of an east wind factor as a ridge crests over Ireland, so local sea breezes possible on all coasts, highs 13-16 C.

    EASTER SUNDAY may hold on to similar pleasant temperatures at least to the afternoon although the north may see a sharp drop towards late in the day, and while dry weather is expected to continue for most, a band of rain will be arriving from the north late afternoon or evening. Highs 12-15 C with a sharp drop likely overnight.

    MONDAY-TUESDAY (5th-6th Apr) are still being shown as much colder days with northerly winds of 50-80 km/hr and mixed wintry showers likely, some snow on hills. Highs only 4 to 6 C and lows -3 to +1 C.

    The further outlook then calls for slight moderation but with potential for a second wave of very cold temperatures to follow within a week.

    My local weather on Sunday was overcast with light rain from noon to about 4 p.m., rather breezy with highs around 8 C. The snow cover here has gradually retreated into shaded areas but remains visible on all surrounding hills, while more from snow clearing work than nature, the roads and sidewalks are all bare and most of the winter grit collected back although you can find spots where there is a covering of that sort waiting for maintenance crews to recover it. We are probably not quite done with the snow season yet though.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Tuesday, 30 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 30 Mar to 5 Apr 2021 --

    -- Temperatures will average 1 to 2 deg above normal, starting out 5-6 above today and slowly drifting down towards the other extreme by Monday 5th.
    -- Rainfalls will average 10 to 20 per cent of normal except possibly in Donegal and nearby, 30 per cent there.
    -- Sunshine will average 25 to 50 per cent above normal. Wind speeds will be about average most of the interval, picking up to quite strong northerlies later Sunday 4th into Monday 5th.


    FORECASTS

    TODAY will feature hazy sunshine and warm temperatures with highs 15 to 18 C (except for a few spots near the south coast where sea fog may drift in at times and hold temperatures down to 10-12 C). There will be somewhat more cloud in western counties at least for the morning. Generally light southerly breezes.

    TONIGHT will be hazy with some patchy mist or fog developing, mild with lows 7 to 10 C. Rain may develop late in the night across parts of Ulster.

    WEDNESDAY will turn considerably cooler in many areas as winds turn northeasterly at 30-50 km/hr, some rain returning to Donegal and spreading down the west coast during the day (5-10 mm possible). Mostly cloudy elsewhere but some brighter intervals persisting in the southeast where it may remain somewhat warmer. Morning lows in all areas around 8 C but temperatures only edging back up slightly in the north and west to 10-12 C, recovering to 14-16 C in the southeast.

    THURSDAY while the winds remain easterly, the fresher variety of air mass will be gradually moderating back to pleasant spring warmth, with lows 4-7 C and highs 12-15 C, warmest in west Munster. With the east wind, it would be the Leinster coastline seeing some local cooling from sea breezes. Skies may start out rather cloudy becoming at least partly sunny by mid-day and afternoon.

    (GOOD) FRIDAY will remain dry and mixtures of cloud and sun in east winds of 30-50 km/hr, morning lows 2-5 C and afternoon highs 11-15 C with some cooler readings possible in the east.

    SATURDAY will remain similar with partly cloudy skies, less of an east wind factor as a ridge crests over Ireland, so local sea breezes possible on all coasts, highs 10-14 C.

    EASTER SUNDAY may hold on to similar pleasant temperatures at least to the afternoon although the north may see a sharp drop towards late in the day, and while dry weather is expected to continue for most, a band of rain will be arriving from the north late afternoon or evening. Highs 10-13 C early in the day with a sharp drop likely by afternoon in northern counties, by the overnight hours for the south coast.

    MONDAY-TUESDAY (5th-6th Apr) are still being shown as much colder days with northerly winds of 50-80 km/hr and mixed wintry showers likely, some snow on hills. Highs only 4 to 6 C and lows -3 to +1 C.

    The further outlook then calls for slight moderation but with potential for a second wave of very cold temperatures to follow within a week. In general, this guidance is probably only "medium" confidence at this point but it should be noted that the interval from 5 to 15 April shows up about as cold as any recent year has ever produced at this time of year.

    My local weather on Monday was partly cloudy and quite cold, highs only reaching about 4 C, and feeling colder than that in a northwest wind.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Wednesday, 31 March, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 31 Mar to 6 Apr 2021

    -- Temperatures will average 2 to 3 deg below normal, however that is mainly due to unseasonably cold temperatures expected Monday-Tuesday of next week, until that arrives, the average will be close to seasonal normals.
    -- Rainfalls will average 25 per cent of normal, except closer to 50 per cent in parts of the north which will likely see
    some today (absent in other regions) and also get more from the northerly when mixed wintry showers develop.
    -- Sunshine will average 25 per cent above normal except closer to normal in the west and north. Wind speeds rather light at times until strong northerlies arrive late Sunday.


    FORECASTS

    TODAY will see a divide between a cool, wet northwest and hazy, milder weather elsewhere, with 5-15 mm rainfalls possible in parts of north Connacht and west Ulster where highs will be held down to about 10 C. In the dry and milder air, with any sunny breaks temperatures could recover to 14 or 15 C.

    TONIGHT will bring some cloudy intervals in most areas, rather chilly with lows 2 to 5 C.

    THURSDAY will be partly cloudy in the west, to overcast at times in the east, where some sea fog and drizzle could drift a few miles inland on easterly breezes. Otherwise generally dry, with highs 13 to 15 C away from the cooler east coast (8-12 C there).

    (GOOD) FRIDAY will probably see more sunshine than cloud in many areas but that east coast low cloud and drizzle may try to redevelop in a few spots, morning lows rather chilly at 1 to 4 C, afternoon highs 12 to 15 C for most.

    SATURDAY will be partly cloudy to sunny, with generally light winds allowing some sea breeze development on all coasts, with the possibility of low cloud or sea fog in a few areas as a result. Inland it should be quite mild after a cool overnight low of -1 to +3 C. Highs 12 to 15 C for most, near 10 C on some coasts.

    EASTER SUNDAY will be a day of rapid weather changes, with the day starting out similar to the previous day, calm and fairly mild, but with winds picking up to westerly 40-70 km/hr, a front will race south late in the day and bring showers turning wintry overnight. Morning lows about 3 to 7 C, afternoon highs (early in the north) 7-12 C mildest near south coast. Temperatures falling rapidly by evening as winds become northerly 50 to 80 km/hr and showers turned mixed wintry with snow falling on higher terrain.

    MONDAY and TUESDAY of next week look very cold with mixed wintry showers and snow quite possible in those, especially on higher ground. Some brighter intervals are likely in northerly winds of 50 to 80 km/hr. Morning lows around -2 C and afternoon highs only 4 to 7 C.

    This unseasonable cold spell will moderate around Wednesday with a brief insertion of somewhat milder air from the northwest, and highs near 9 or 10 C, then a second cold spell begins but it may not be quite as severe as the first one. There are now indications of a more rapid return to somewhat more "normal" April weather conditions by about the second weekend in April.

    My local weather was cloudy with a few breaks, and chilly with highs only about 5 C.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Thursday, 1st of April, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 1 to 7 April, 2021

    -- Temperatures will average 2 to 4 deg below normal values, largely because of very cold temperatures expected on Monday and Tuesday, but it will also be rather cool in the east before that arrives, so that is where the average might be as low as 4 below normal, the milder west will build up some above normal averages before the cold arrives.
    -- Rainfalls will be about 25 per cent of normal values, or less in some areas, as wintry showers on Monday and Tuesday are not likely to produce heavy precipitation. Some rain late Sunday is the main producer of any totals at all.
    -- Sunshine will vary from 25 per cent below normal in some east and north coast counties to 25 per cent above normal in the south and west. These differences will build up in the first half of the interval. Most places will be rather cloudy from Sunday to next Wednesday.
    -- Winds will be light to moderate until Sunday afternoon or evening, then rather strong for about a day and a half before backing off to moderate again.

    FORECASTS

    TODAY will be rather cloudy near the east coast and cooler with highs 8 to 13 C, some low cloud or sea fog and drizzle is possible at times, but not too far inland some brighter spells may also be encountered. Further west and in particular near the west coast, the easterly flow will allow for warmth to spread to the coast and bring temperatures up to 14 C or thereabouts, although some drifting low cloud and sea fog could be near all coastlines at times.

    TONIGHT will feature some clear intervals and the eastern cloud may break to partly cloudy skies, lows 3 to 7 C.

    GOOD FRIDAY will be a similar day but likely a bit less cloudy over eastern regions so highs could be more similar to those further west, 10 to 14 C. Both Thursday and Friday, a few places in west Munster may be even warmer than forecasts are saying, a local 17-19 C would not be too surprising since there hasn't really been a strong change of air mass.

    By SATURDAY the easterly flow will be replaced by light westerly breezes and this could push in marine cloud layers over parts of Ulster and Connacht, while sunshine prevails further east on this occasion. Lows of 1 to 4 C and highs about 12 to 15 C are expected.

    EASTER SUNDAY will start off in this same moderate air mass, but it will be rather suddenly replaced by much colder air arriving mid-afternoon in the north to early evening in the south, on strong northwest to north winds. Morning lows 1 to 4 C, afternoon highs 8 to 11 C north, 11 to 14 C south. Temperatures will fall quickly in the late afternoon and evening, rain turning to sleet or snow in some places, although accumulations expected to be patchy 1-2 cm.

    MONDAY will be unseasonably cold with strong north winds 50 to 80 km/hr, some higher gusts in exposed coastal locations adding a chill to near record low temperatures starting out around -1 or -2 C and working back to only highs of 3 to 6 C. Passing wintry showers could lay down some temporary coatings of snow, or graupel (a form of hail) and snow pellets are likely too, some thunder may develop in heavier showers. There will be a few brighter intervals especially across the south. Wind chills may be as low as -4 C in some areas.

    TUESDAY will be just about as cold although not quite as windy, and the inland penetration of wintry showers may be somewhat reduced with northern and western high ground seeing more of them, lows -2 to -4 C and highs 3 to 7 deg C.

    WEDNESDAY will bring a slight moderation as a weak warm sector develops between this first outbreak and a second one following on, so as winds become briefly westerly at 30-50 km/hr, under cloudy skies with some rain at times, temperatures will recover a bit to 8 or 9 C.

    By THURSDAY into FRIDAY and the following weekend, a new batch of very cold air is likely to arrive, not quite as cold as the first round, so highs of 4 to 7 C and overnight lows of -2 to +2 C are expected; more sleety showers but the mix will likely be less snow and more rain than the first interval. This cold spell looks like it will just gradually moderate a degree or two each day until things get back to near normal mid-April weather for a while; however, the pattern looks capable of reloading at intervals with further cold spells so the month as a whole is likely to be quite a bit below normal in temperature, and eventually rainfalls may increase as the Atlantic tries to restore its dominant role with a storm track near or just south of Ireland at times by later in the month. If there was ever to be a repeat of legendary snowfalls of the distant past in April (such as in 1917) this type of cold outbreak is one necessary ingredient, but nothing on the charts suggests an exact duplication of that event (1st-2nd Apr 1917, some parts of southern and western Ireland had very heavy snowfalls -- the culprit was a slow-moving low pressure area that circled around over Britain for several days with air masses at record cold levels pushing in from the northeast and later on from the northwest). Some higher places could see 2-5 cm snow cover during this coming event but they were measuring snow in feet in the 1917 storm. Over in Britain they had their coldest April day in a 250-year interval and in Ireland there were readings colder than on any other April days also.

    My local weather was sunny and a bit milder than recent days, with a high near 9 C. Out of the breeze it felt a lot warmer than that. The eastern warm spell (in the U.S.) has come to an end and some snow is expected inland with a cold rain near the coast.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Friday, 2 April, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 2 to 8 April, 2021

    -- Temperatures will average 3 to 5 deg below normal values, with the first two days closer to average.
    -- Rainfalls will be about 25 per cent of normal values, or less in some areas, as wintry showers on Monday and Tuesday are not likely to produce heavy precipitation. Some rain late Sunday is the main producer of any totals at all.
    -- Sunshine will vary from 25 per cent below normal in some east and north coast counties to 25 per cent above normal in the south and west. These differences will build up in the first half of the interval. Most places will be rather cloudy from Sunday to next Wednesday.
    -- Winds will be light to moderate until Sunday afternoon or evening, then rather strong for about a day and a half before backing off to moderate again.

    FORECASTS

    TODAY will see a continued presence of some cloud near the east coast and cool temperatures with highs 8 to 13 C, some low cloud or sea fog and drizzle is possible at times, but not too far inland some brighter spells will likely be encountered. Further west and in particular near the west coast, the easterly flow will allow for warmth to spread to the coast and bring temperatures up to 14 C and locally 16 C, although some drifting low cloud and sea fog could be near all coastlines at times.

    TONIGHT will see fairly extensive clearing and light frost is possible inland, lows -2 to +3 C.

    By SATURDAY the easterly flow will be replaced by variable then light westerly breezes and this could push in marine cloud layers over parts of Ulster and Connacht, while sunshine prevails further east on this occasion. Lows of 1 to 4 C and highs about 12 to 15 C are expected.

    EASTER SUNDAY will start off in this same moderate air mass, but it will be rather suddenly replaced by much colder air arriving mid-afternoon in the north to early evening in the south, on strong northwest to north winds. Morning lows 1 to 4 C, afternoon highs 8 to 11 C north, 11 to 14 C south. Temperatures will fall quickly in the late afternoon and evening, rain turning to sleet or snow in some places, although accumulations expected to be patchy 1-2 cm.

    MONDAY will be unseasonably cold with strong north winds 50 to 80 km/hr, some higher gusts to 100 km/hr in exposed coastal locations adding a chill to near record low temperatures starting out around -1 or -2 C and working back to only highs of 3 to 6 C. Passing wintry showers could lay down some temporary coatings of snow, or graupel (a form of hail) and snow pellets are likely too, some thunder may develop in heavier showers. There will be a few brighter intervals especially across the south. Wind chills may be as low as -4 C in some areas.

    TUESDAY will be just about as cold although not quite as windy, and the inland penetration of wintry showers may be somewhat reduced with northern and western high ground seeing more of them, lows -2 to -4 C and highs 3 to 7 deg C. Winds northwest to north 40 to 70 km/hr.

    WEDNESDAY will bring a slight moderation as a weak warm sector develops between this first outbreak and a second one following on, so as winds become briefly westerly at 30-50 km/hr, under cloudy skies with some rain at times, temperatures will recover a bit to 8 or 9 C after morning lows near -1 C.

    By THURSDAY into FRIDAY and the following weekend a second cold spell may be somewhat less windy than the first one but it may also contain more organized areas of mixed wintry precipitation as troughs rotate around a stalled low in north-central Europe. There will probably be a slight moderation each day after Friday, but highs on Thursday and Friday could be only about 5 to 7 C, with slight frosts both mornings.

    Eventually the pattern becomes somewhat less chilly but more unsettled, so only slight improvements going into the middle of April.

    My local weather on Thursday was overcast and mild with highs near 12 C.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Saturday, 3 April, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 3 to 9 April 2021 --

    -- Temperatures will average 2 to 4 deg below normal values, although today will likely be near or even slightly above.
    -- Rainfall will be about 25 to 50 per cent of normal, the heavier amounts being more likely in the north and west.
    -- Sunshine will be near normal values, despite a lot of cloud mid-week. Wind speeds will be light today and part of Sunday, moderate to strong at times the rest of the interval, and mainly from a northwest to north direction.


    FORECASTS

    TODAY will be sunny with some patchy cloud developing near coasts in the northwest later on, but for most the only cloud will be increasing high cloud, perhaps leading to a nice sunset. Highs 11 to 15 C, this time the warmth will likely be more concentrated in the inland south and east as a light westerly flow sets in.

    TONIGHT will continue rather clear in many places, with the increasing high cloud somewhat thicker over western and northern counties. Lows -2 to +3 C.

    EASTER SUNDAY will start out fairly pleasant and the weather in at least the southern half of the country will be similar to today until mid-afternoon. Further north, cloud will increase faster and showers may develop in the afternoon. A sharp cold front is expected to race through all regions after sunset, and timing at present is around 8 p.m. for Ulster, to 2 a.m. for the south coast. Shortly after the front passes, temperatures will begin to fall off sharply after highs of 11 to 14 C. The overnight period to Monday morning will be windy and much colder with mixed wintry showers developing, winds northwest 40 to 70 km/hr with some higher gusts near exposed coasts.

    MONDAY will be partly cloudy with scattered wintry showers, tending to be more vigorous in parts of Ulster and Connacht, and prone to falls of accumulating snow on hills there. Morning lows near -1 C then afternoon highs unseasonably cold at 4 to 7 C. Winds northwest 50 to 80 km/hr at times will add several degrees of chill factor and temperatures may fall back during and after any heavier wintry showers.

    TUESDAY will also be cold with passing wintry showers but perhaps not as windy with northwest to north winds of about 40 to 60 km/hr. Morning lows near -2 C and afternoon highs near 6 C.

    WEDNESDAY will become slightly milder with skies mostly cloudy, although a few brighter intervals possible, as well as scattered outbreaks of light rain mostly found over northern counties. Winds will back to westerly 40 to 60 km/hr, lows near 2 C and highs near 9 or 10 C.

    THURSDAY will continue to feel the influence of this weak warmer wedge for at least the morning as latest guidance has slowed the arrival of a second cold air mass, but northern counties could still get into that during the afternoon and evening, so for those areas, highs near 7 C could be replaced with colder readings by late in the day. Further south it will likely get back to around 9 or 10 C again after morning lows of 2 to 5 C. Passing showers could be rather heavy in a few places especially near any frontal boundary that forms across the north.

    By FRIDAY and SATURDAY the entire country will be back into a second cold air mass that looks just about equal to the first one in terms of potential for low temperatures and wintry showers, however, it also looks a bit more unsettled with more of a cyclonic influence so that perhaps there will actually be more widespread wintry showers in this second interval, temperatures similar to the first (highs 5 to 8 C at best, some frosts at night).

    Guidance beyond about next weekend is probably not very reliable at this point and it tends to suggest a cycle of weak warming intervals and reloading of the northerly chill at various points going forward, the timing is probably the least reliable aspect of that.

    My local weather on Good Friday was mild with increasing high cloud that just about obscured the Sun by afternoon, although temperatures were comfortable at 12 C. Some snow-free valleys in the province had readings closer to 18 to 20 C. Hope you have a pleasant weekend before the cold arrives Sunday night. In most places Sunday should remain fairly pleasant until that front pushes through and that could be fairly late in the day on latest guidance.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Sunday, 4 April, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 4 to 10 April 2021

    -- Temperatures will average 3 to 5 deg below normal values (which are now roughly 11 for daytime highs and 3 for overnight lows.
    -- Rainfall or precipitation of wintry forms will average about 25 per cent of normal moisture (probably more than the average amount of wintry mixtures though). In other words, this won't be a wet pattern but what does fall will be quite heavily slanted towards wintry mixtures.
    -- Sunshine will average near normal values although some areas may be cloudier especially the north and northwest. Winds have been fairly light for several days, but will pick up steadily later today and become rather blustery at times all week, although no really strong winds are now expected.

    FORECASTS

    TODAY will start out with some patchy fog and low cloud that may be a bit slow to clear in some inland northern counties. Sunshine should dominate the first half of the day before cloud increases steadily this afternoon from a frontal band advancing into the region from the north. This will eventually lead to some showers as winds become stronger, westerly 40 to 70 km/hr by late afternoon. Highs 11 to 14 C.

    TONIGHT will bring a very rapid drop in temperatures starting during the evening hours in Ulster and trending towards the late overnight hours near the south coast. In all cases temperatures will fall below freezing by 1 or 2 degrees, except in a few coastal areas where lowest readings will be 1 to 3 C. Rain will turn to mixed wintry showers although some dry intervals will be mixed in. Winds northwest 50 to 80 km/hr. Chance of thunder in northern counties around midnight to 0600h. This may advance further south late overnight.

    MONDAY will be unseasonably cold with passing wintry showers. Some places may stay essentially dry, in particular the south coast and parts of the southeast. Other places will have rather frequent passing showers of hail, snow and mixed forms of wintry precipitation. There could be a coating of 1-2 cms on some hills. Highs only 3 to 6 C with winds northwest to north 50 to 80 km/hr. Some inland counties could see more moderate wind speeds as the really strong winds are heading more for eastern Britain and the North Sea. Feeling quite cold due to the winds and prone to turning briefly colder during and after heavier wintry showers.

    TUESDAY will see a continuation of cold, breezy and unsettled wintry conditions, lows -3 to -1 C and highs 4 to 7 C. The wind speeds may be reduced somewhat to northwest 40 to 60 km/hr. A few places will see brief accumulations of snow, partly cloudy skies will prevail with more generous sunny breaks near the south coast.

    WEDNESDAY will start out clear and quite cold in the inland south with frosts and lows near -3 C. Cloud spreading in from the northwest will probably prevent frost elsewhere but lows of 2 to 4 C will feel cold enough. Some limited warming during the day in a weak mild sector will give highs of 9 to 11 C. Occasional light rain will develop, likely with heavier falls in Ulster and north Connacht (5-10 mm). Light to moderate westerly winds becoming stronger for some coastal areas late in the day (westerly 50 to 80 km/hr there).

    THURSDAY will continue similar until mid-day when a cold front arrives and drops temperatures a second time, to rather similar readings to Monday-Tuesday. Highs for Thursday will occur around mid-day or even earlier in the north, 7 to 9 C, with a gradual fall by late afternoon and evening as winds turn more northerly. Wind speeds generally in the 40 to 60 km/hr range.

    FRIDAY will be cold with passing wintry showers, lows near -1 C and highs near 7 C.

    SATURDAY will also be quite cold with sleety showers, lows near -1 C and highs near 8 C.

    Any slight moderation could be followed by a third cold spell around Sunday or Monday, timing at this point is not too reliable but this pattern looks prone to reloading at intervals for a while, so expect a pattern with the occasional milder day between cold spells of 2-3 days duration.

    My local weather on Saturday was mostly cloudy until late afternoon when it cleared slightly, and generally rather mild with highs of about 13 C.

    Happy Easter to everyone, enjoy the milder portions of the day as this may be the last day for a while when it will be pleasant to be outside.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Monday, 5 April, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 5 to 11 April, 2021

    -- Temperatures will average 3 to 5 deg below normal values.
    -- Rainfall will average 25 to 50 per cent of normal, in fact this should be precipitation because part of it could take on wintry forms. The higher portions will likely be in Ulster and north Connacht.
    -- Sunshine will average about 75 per cent of normal, somewhat lower in the north. Winds will increase to moderate and remain in that range most of the interval, infrequently gusting to strong levels, and occasionally dropping off to light inland.

    FORECASTS

    TODAY will be mostly cloudy and cold with a mixture of rain, hail and snow showers with the trend being for rain showers being most frequent in the south and west, snow in Ulster and north Leinster, parts of Connacht, and hail or mixed wintry types in between. The coldest air has pushed into east Ulster this morning and is slowly winning out over the remnants of the milder air mass in place on the weekend. Temperatures are in the 1-3 C range in Ulster, and 3-5 C in most of Connacht and Leinster, while still about 4-7 C in Munster. In all cases, there won't be much of a daytime rise in these values, although a few degrees could be attained wherever the sun breaks through the cloud. Towards mid-afternoon there will be a second wave of cooling and temperatures could fall off rapidly during or after any heavy wintry showers. Winds northwest to north 40 to 70 km/hr will add a chill factor.

    TONIGHT will be partly cloudy and very cold with a few more wintry showers in places, some accumulations of snow likely on higher ground in the north. Lows -3 to +1 C. The moderate northwest winds will continue in most places dropping off well inland.

    TUESDAY will continue partly to mostly cloudy and cold with scattered wintry showers, moderate northwest to north winds (40-60 km/hr) and highs 4 to 7 C.

    WEDNESDAY will turn somewhat milder, after a sharp frost across the inland south under clearing skies. Lows near -3 C and highs near 9 C for the south and some central counties. Further north, due to extensive cloud, the range will be more like 2 C to 7 C, and rain will begin during the afternoon and continue off and on overnight (5-15 mm expected).

    THURSDAY will see further showers as this front begins to push south, with lows -1 to +3 C and highs 6 to 9 C. It will begin to turn quite cold again in Ulster by late in the afternoon, and in other regions overnight.

    FRIDAY will be breezy and very cold with mixed wintry showers, and highs only 4 to 7 C.

    SATURDAY morning could be exceptionally cold if skies remain clear, some guidance suggests lows below -5 C in the inland south and southeast. The daytime hours will remain quite cold with variable cloud and highs 3 to 7 C.

    The further outlook at this point calls for colder than normal weather to persist; some earlier hints of a more variable regime seem to have faded in favour of cold dominating and only weak moderations of temperature between intervals of very cool weather (for mid-April). This could continue for at least another week.

    My local weather on Easter Sunday was overcast with spits of light rain mid-day, but no real measurable amount, then partial clearing towards evening, and a bit colder than recent days with a high of about 7 C.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Tuesday, 6 April, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 6 to 12 April 2021 --

    Most of this section can apply to a two week interval now according to most guidance ...

    -- Temperatures will average 3 to 5 deg below normal values.
    -- Rainfalls will average about 25 per cent of normal, locally a bit higher in parts of Ulster, and by rainfall is meant the liquid equivalent of mixed wintry showers including some snowfall.
    -- Sunshine will average about 75 per cent of normal values, possibly a bit lower in the north.


    FORECASTS

    TODAY will continue very cold with passing wintry showers, more frequent in Ulster and north Leinster. Once again, the ratio of rain to snow in these will be greatest for snow in Ulster and for rain near the Atlantic coasts (although not that frequently encountered). There may be an interval around mid-day with more widespread wintry showers in the eastern counties. Winds northwest to north 40 to 60 km/hr adding a chill to highs only 4 to 7 C.

    TONIGHT some light rain or sleet will develop across parts of the north and west, and this will move further south while gradually decaying to wintry showers. Southern inland counties having longer clear intervals may see a sharp frost in places with lows to -3 C, other regions will drop to lows near +1 C with a few spots colder if they clear slightly before dawn.

    WEDNESDAY will bring a mix of sun and cloud to most areas with some outbreaks of rain developing by afternoon and evening in the north. It will be a bit milder with highs 8 to 11 C. Winds becoming westerly 40 to 60 km/hr.

    THURSDAY will continue somewhat milder with an interval of rain and moderate to strong westerly winds developing (50 to 70 km/hr). Morning lows near -1 C and afternoon highs near 9 C.

    On FRIDAY another outbreak of colder air will move south across the country, possibly similar to yesterday's gradual deepening cold from north to south, with wintry showers and morning lows -1 to +2 C, afternoon highs near 5 C in the north to 8 C in the south. Friday night will produce some sharp frosts where skies clear in the inland south and east. Moderate northerly breezes 40 to 60 km/hr.

    SATURDAY will continue very cold with wintry showers and some local accumulations of snow possible. Morning lows in the range of -5 to -2 C and afternoon highs only 3 to 7 C. North to northeast winds 30 to 50 km/hr after a calm interval for some inland areas during the early morning.

    SUNDAY and MONDAY will continue cold and somewhat unsettled with scattered wintry showers, northerly breezes of about 40-60 km/hr, lows -1 to +2 C and highs 7 to 10 C.

    This colder pattern seems to be locking in with no real moderation in temperatures shown on guidance going out as far as two weeks, so most of next week looks similar.

    My local weather on Monday was sunny and quite mild with highs around 14 C.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Wednesday, 7 April, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 7 to 13 April, 2021

    -- Temperatures will average 2 to 4 deg below normal values.
    -- Rainfalls will amount to 25-50 per cent of normal, and there will be some wintry mixtures involved.
    -- Sunshine will be 50 to 75 per cent of normal, winds will continue rather moderate and mainly from westerly to northerly directions.


    FORECASTS

    TODAY will be partly to mostly cloudy, with outbreaks of light rain, sleety on some hills, although it will become slightly less cold today with highs reaching 8 to 10 C. A more persistent light rain is expected across northern counties by late afternoon and evening (5-8 mm likely with this). Breezes will be westerly 40 to 60 km/hr at times.

    TONIGHT will continue mostly cloudy, outbreaks of light rain dying out, lows 3 to 5 C.

    THURSDAY will bring variable amounts of cloud and some further showers, followed by a more organized frontal band of rain late in the day, moving from north to south with 5-10 mm amounts. Highs 9 to 11 C. Turning colder late in the day in Ulster and north Connacht, then this colder air spreading slowly south overnight, turning rain to sleet or wet snow in places.

    FRIDAY will be cloudy with a few sunny breaks and cold, with lows 1 to 3 C and highs 5 to 9 C, colder values in the north. Mixed wintry showers will come and go, perhaps more frequently in the west this time, as winds will be northerly at 40 to 60 km/hr feeding wintry showers down the west coast.

    SATURDAY will start out with a sharp frost in some areas, lows -5 to -1 C. Then snow showers may become fairly widespread by mid-day and afternoon, and it will remain unseasonably cold with highs 3 to 7 C in north to northeast winds of 40 to 60 km/hr.

    SUNDAY will be cloudy and cold after a rather frosty start, lows -3 to +2 C, then highs near 7 or 8 C with mixed wintry showers becoming less widespread, in northerly breezes.

    NEXT WEEK looks like continuing the cold trend with just a slight moderation in temperatures and probably more chance of cold rain than wintry mixtures, but still below seasonal averages with highs 8 to 10 C.

    My local weather on Tuesday was sunny and quite mild with highs near 15 C. Not much sign of spring around us at this elevation although most of the crusty old snow has disappeared in town, still on all the local hilltops however. Will be checking out the progress of spring down in the valley later on "today." (tomorrow really in my time zone)


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Thursday, 8 April, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 8 to 14 April 2021 --

    -- Temperatures will average 2 to 5 deg below normal, coldest in the inland southeast. There will be a gradual moderation of the more severe chill after Monday.
    -- Rainfalls will be 50 to 75 per cent of normal in the north, 25 per cent near the south coast.
    -- Sunshine will be about 75 per cent of normal, and that relies on Wednesday of next week being a sunny day, so more like 50 per cent up until then. Winds will continue to be moderate westerly to northerly.


    FORECASTS

    TODAY will be cloudy with a few sunny intervals in the south. A few light showers will develop across the north, turning heavier by mid-day and afternoon. This cold front will begin to sink south overnight. Highs 8 to 11 C. Rainfalls with the front about 5-10 mm (only arriving in many areas tonight or early Friday).

    TONIGHT will see a band of rain drifting further south, and precipitation may begin to turn to sleet or snow over parts of Ulster towards morning. Lows there 1-3 C, further south, 3-5 C.

    FRIDAY will become cold again with mixed wintry showers, possibly some accumulations of snow in parts of the north and some central counties too. About 1-3 cm potential with these snow showers, northerly winds 40 to 60 km/hr and highs 4 to 7 C.

    SATURDAY will start off with some sharp frosts in the inland southeast and some central counties, lows -5 to -1 C. The day will once again become rather cloudy with outbreaks of wintry showers and some further accumulations of snow possible. Highs 4 to 7 C.

    SUNDAY will be slightly milder but still quite cold for the time of year, morning lows -2 to +3 C and afternoon highs around 8 C. Some further showers but less wintry.

    MONDAY will be a similar day to today, partly to mostly cloudy with highs near 10 C and some rain mainly in the north.

    The guidance is beginning to shift a bit with the next potential reload taking a more gentle turn and instead of a push of colder air, building in of high pressure that while frosty at night for the mid-week period may be capable of allowing sunshine to warm temperatures up to almost seasonal values, 10 to 12 C looks possible now. This trend will probably turn to a slow warming to values near or even above normal within the week that follows. We may see a payoff for this cold weather in terms of a warm spell near the end of the month. February and March both took that route so it would not come as a big surprise.

    My local weather was overcast with light rain at times, and a bit cooler than previous days at 10 C.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Friday, 9 April, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 9 to 15 April 2021 --

    -- Temperatures will average 2 to 4 deg below normal.
    -- Rainfall will be around 25 to 50 per cent of normal, higher values in the north, and some portions of that wintry.
    -- Sunshine will average 75 per cent of normal, and wind speeds will be generally moderate in the 30-50 km/hr range but some calm nights will occur especially inland.


    FORECASTS

    TODAY will see further outbreaks of light rain heading further south into Munster and south Leinster. A more wintry mixture of showers is feeding into Ulster and parts of north Connacht, north Leinster, and these will also make further progress south. A zone in between the front and the air mass showers will have the longest sunny intervals but these will fade away in the afternoon as cloud increases. Quite cold especially in the north where highs only 4 to 7 C, around 8 or 9 C in the south.

    TONIGHT will see widespread partial clearing and some sharp frosts are expected in many areas of the south and central counties, lows -5 to -1 C. It will likely stay cloudier in the north with ongoing wintry showers and some accumulations of snow especially on hills in west Ulster. Lows there -2 to +1 C.

    SATURDAY morning sunshine with the frost dissipating, then increasing cloud from north to south. Wintry showers will become rather widespread by mid-day in a moderate northerly flow (30-50 km/hr), highs only 3 to 7 C. Some accumulations of snow may develop further south during the afternoon. Once again skies will tend to clear up by evening and overnight there could be some more sharp frosts developing in the inland southeast in particular.

    SUNDAY will then start out with the frosts and lows of -4 to +1 C, then variable amounts of cloud and only a few isolated showers, not as many of them wintry as temperatures will recover slightly to highs of 7 to 9 C.

    NEXT WEEK will continue dry and rather cool for most of the time, a few weak disturbances will try to push in from the west but high pressure over Britain and central Europe will keep most of that rain either out to sea or confined to west and south coast counties if any does reach Ireland. Temperatures will continue a bit below average but it won't be quite as cold as this coming weekend. Highs will be generally around 9 to 11 C each day and some nights will have slight frosts. This pattern seems fairly long-lived but could slowly change more towards normal mid to late April temperatures eventually.

    My local weather on Thursday was partly cloudy with some dark clouds over higher terrain, probably dropping snow there but we saw no precipitation and it would have been hail or rain as temperatures were around 7 or 8 C. The snow cover in the region now ranges from bare ground with slight spring vegetation response in the valleys to patchy snow locally to 25-40 cm snow cover remaining in the alpine around 1500 m asl. We were on a highway in that area around mid-afternoon and it was -2 C with a very cold wind blowing.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Saturday, 10 April, 2021

    Forecasts for Ireland



    TRENDS for the week of 10 to 16 April 2021

    -- Temperatures will average 2 to 4 deg below normal, with a slight moderating trend during the week.
    -- Rainfall (liquid equivalent of wintry showers included) will be 25 to 50 per cent of normal, possibly less in the southeast.
    -- Sunshine will be about 75 per cent of normal values. Winds generally about average in speed, sometimes dropping off to calm overnight.

    FORECASTS

    TODAY will start out very cold and bright, with a rapid increase in cloud likely before mid-day, followed by outbreaks of wintry mixed showers including some snow and possible local accumulations in central and northern counties. Highs only reaching about 4 to 7 C. The south coast may be slightly more moderate with regard to both temperature and wintry showers.

    TONIGHT the wintry showers will die out during the evening, with partial clearing to follow and another sharp frost is likely with lows -5 to -1 C.

    SUNDAY will be similar to today in most respects, but the spread of wintry showers will probably be less dramatic and it could also get slightly milder with highs of 5 to 9 C possible.

    MONDAY will have some light rain at times across the north, and partly to mostly cloudy skies in the south after somewhat less frosty conditions, lows -2 to +3 C, highs 7 to 11 C.

    From then on, high pressure will be fairly dominant with just isolated showers and temperatures edging upwards to values closer to mid-April normals, probably adding 1 or 2 deg each day until reaching about 13-14 C later in the week. There will still be some slight frosts in this moderating pattern. One rather strong front is set to approach western counties late in the week, it may deliver some moderate rainfalls to coastal areas although eventually it will break up in its efforts to push further inland against the high pressure situated further east.

    The pattern within a week will become more moderate still and temperatures could be near or even slightly above April normal values by later in the month.

    My local weather on Friday was overcast and quite cold with highs only reaching about 3 C. A few spits of sleety mixed precipitation fell but only traces recorded, some light snow is expected to develop on Saturday then a slow moderating trend for us as well with readings near 15 C expected later in the week.


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