It will be a cloudy and wet start to the week with scattered showers pushing in from the east of the country, with most of the dry and bright spells in the west.
However, the arrival of real winter weather is just around the corner as snow is forecast to hit in two days.
Met Eireann’s latest forecast has pinpointed the arrival of snow from Wednesday, although it will most likely affect areas of high ground.
READ MORE: Ireland weather: Met Eireann pinpoints two areas for arrival of snow in just days
The weather is set to turn "bitterly cold" and could dip below zero on Wednesday night with "sharp to severe frost and ice" on roads. Temperatures are then expected to return to between 0 and 4 degrees - the perfect temperatures for snowfall.
The Irish forecaster has forecast "sleet, snow and hail" for Thursday but Northern areas are most at risk wintry showers at times, particularly in the north and northwest.
Here is a more detailed look at the week ahead:
Monday, December 5
Today will be quite cloudy with scattered showers continuing to feed in from the east. The best of the dry and bright spells will be in the west. Highest temperatures of 5 to 9 degrees in a light to moderate northeasterly breeze, fresh near the coast.
Scattered showers will continue tonight, mainly in Leinster and Munster, with mostly dry and clear conditions elsewhere. It will be cold with a widespread frost, as temperatures drop to between -2 and +3 degrees. Coldest conditions are expected in the north. A light to moderate northeasterly wind will continue.
Tuesday, December 6
Tuesday will be mostly dry with sunny spells, but there will be a few showers too, mainly near the east and south coast where it will be cloudiest. Chilly with highest temperatures of 4 to 8 degrees, in a light northerly wind.
Tuesday night: Very cold with widespread frost, as temperatures drop to between -3 and +2 degrees. It will be generally dry and clear, but will become cloudier with isolated showers in the northwest later, and there will be a light northerly wind.
Wednesday, December 7
Cold with temperatures only reaching 2 to 5 degrees, in a light north to northwest wind. It will be dry and sunny in most places, but there will be scattered showers in northern and western coastal areas. The showers will turn increasingly wintry later in the day, with snow likely on high ground.
Bitterly cold on Wednesday night with temperatures falling below zero degrees countrywide and as low as -3 or -4 degrees in some places. There will be a widespread sharp to severe frost and ice on untreated surfaces. Showers will move southwards over the country overnight and will fall as sleet or snow in some areas.
Thursday, December 8
Very cold with temperatures remaining in low single figures. A mix of sunny spells and well scattered showers of sleet, snow and hail. The showers will become mainly confined to coastal parts of the northwest, north and east as the day goes on. Winds will be light and come from the north.
Thursday night will be another bitterly cold night with a widespread sharp to severe frost and icy stretches. Minimum temperatures of -4 to -2 degrees in a light north to northwest wind. Most areas will be dry and clear but there will be wintry showers at times near the coast.
Friday, December 9
Staying very cold with temperatures remaining in low single figures. Mostly dry with sunny spells, but wintry showers will persist near coasts, especially in the north.
Looking ahead at the weekend there is little change expected, it will stay cold with some wintry showers and widespread frost by night.
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