This update is to cover County Donegal on the potential impacts the weather will have later this weekend and next week with many types of weather across the county depending on where you live.

It will be very cold from Sunday onwards in particular up until next Thursday with snow in some parts of Donegal over the early days of next week with a risk of of a more widespread snowfall later in the week.

The local authorities which include Donegal County Council this morning where briefed on the up coming cold spell The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) says it is liaising with local authorities to prepare for a severe weather response if necessary.

Met Éireann has also warned there is a potential for a significant snow event next week.

The NDFEM and the national forecaster briefed local authorities early on Friday morning. They said the relevant Government departments are making contingency plans.

SNOW RISK OF DONEGAL

Next week snow/ice warnings are likely to be issued for Donegal but not all areas will see snow early in the week with the first warnings likely to be issued from Monday into Wednesday morning.

Above is a Chart I have made up highlighting the risk areas for snowfall early next week for Donegal from Sunday 07/02/21 to Wednesday 10/02/21. The colder air will arrive in across Donegal later Saturday and Sunday last into the end of the week possibly later Thursday into Friday. The coldest pockets of air will be across Donegal with the upper air temperatures at 850hPa which is 1500 m (5000 ft) above the surface will be as low as -10c to -11C which would be the lowest upper air temperatures across the county since 2018. This means any precipitation that falls from the sky will be of snowfall.

Some showers will be possible across northern coastal parts of Donegal on Sunday night but the real risk will come Monday Evening and night across Donegal with northern parts of Donegal at risk to seen some heavy showers forming also know as sea streamers forming of the north coast and moving in over northern parts of Donegal giving accumulations.

Tuesday into Wednesday morning will see further showers forming of the north coasts and moving in across northern parts of Donegal with further accumulations possible again there.

These showers can for into long bands feeding in constant snowfall for hours at a time also known as a train effect. Some of these showers may drift into more central parts of Donegal with light dustings but away from the yellow highlighted area it will be mainly dry.

If a Snow/ice warning issued for Sunday it will apply for the northern half of Donegal

TEMPERATURES

From Sunday night into Wednesday very low temperatures are expected during these days and nights with temperatures possibly dipping as low as -6C to -7C across Donegal with severe frost and ice developing in all areas with any wet roads or footpaths becoming for icy.

SEVERE WINDCHILL FACTOR - STRONG EASTERLY WINDS

A severe Windchill is also expected next week especially on Monday and Tuesday across Donegal with a Windchill factor possibly as low as -6C to -12C by night. The Windchill factor will be greatest across higher ground areas exposed to that northeast to east wind

LATER NEXT WEEK

Later next week an Atlantic low pressure system looks set to move in from the Atlantic and could lead to a more widespread fall of snow across Donegal later Wednesday and Thursday as it hits that very cold air. there is some uncertainty on this at the moment with more known near the end of the weekend

LIVE STOCK DANGERS - FARMERS

I would also like to add one final thing for famers with livestock especially over higher ground areas to be alert and keep a eye on the forecast due to the significant risk of snowfall for mainly northern parts of Donegal early next week and possibly more widespread snowfall later in the week. Low temperatures and a added wind chill factor will create very harsh conditions putting animals in danger exposed to such conditions.

Kenneth from the Donegal Weather Channel

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