LAST UPDATE | 1 Mar

THE SUDDEN SNOWFALL over much of the country this morning has caused disruption for roads, schools and public transport.

A Status Yellow snow and ice warning which was in place for Cavan, Monaghan, Dublin, Kildare, Longford, Westmeath, Leitrim, Roscommon, Sligo and Wicklow has lifted, but another ice warning has taken effect for the whole country tonight until tomorrow morning.

A Status Yellow rain warning is also in place for Dublin, Louth, Meath and Wicklow until 3am Saturday.

Met Éireann has warned there is a risk of hazardous travelling conditions, poor visibility and icy stretches in affected counties.

Dart services between Lansdowne Road and Bray have resumed following earlier disruption due to fallen trees and snow affecting points along the line.

Commuter train services arriving and departing from Heuston Station are moving with some delays, while there are “significant delays and disruption” at Connolly station due to weather impacting signalling, according to Iarnród Éireann.

Dublin Bus has alerted commuters that a number of routes which were affected have resumed normal service.

However, Route 44 is operating to and from Kilternan only. It’s unable to serve Enniskerry, Larkhill and Sandyford Village.

Red Line Luas services are back operating normally after delays earlier.

On the roads, Junction 13 of the M50 in Dublin was closed in both directions earlier due to heavy snowfall but has reopened.

Traffic backed up on approach to Dublin from Howth road direction because of snow. Enterprise train comes to a halt at Clontarf station because of backlog @ Connolly & conductor tells us the driver has taken a wrong turn and we are now in Norway!!! 😊 @Translink_NI @IrishRail pic.twitter.com/DjX5UJK5si

— Michael Fisher (@fishbelfast) March 1, 2024

Wicklow County Council has issued a number of alerts for people travelling, with several roads in poor or impassable conditions. The Wicklow Gap and the Sally Gap in particular should be avoided.

South Dublin County Council has closed Military Road near the Wicklow Mountains due to the conditions.

Wicklow County Council wishes to advise motorists to avoid the Wicklow Gap and the Sally Gap due to the adverse weather conditions. #WicklowCountyCouncil #YourCouncil #WicklowMunicipalDistrict pic.twitter.com/7OLJNZhUva

— Wicklow County Council (@wicklowcoco) March 1, 2024

Some roads in Longford have been partially blocked, according to Longford County Council. The N55 and R194 were the worst impacted, while the N4 “appears passable with care”. 

The Far Finisklin Road in Sligo was closed earlier this morning due to a fallen tree, but it has since been cleared and the road has reopened.

Met Éireann meteorologist Brandon Creagh has said it was not clear to forecasters until this morning that the snow would be as heavy and widespread at it has been.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, Creagh said that models had originally expected the eastern half of the country to be hit with rain.

“They were predicting that the front that would move down and would turn to sleet or snow over higher ground, so we added into the warning that a mix of sleet or snow at times could lead to hazardous travelling conditions because of that risk,” Creagh said.

He said that snow is “notorious” for being the most difficult type of weather to forecast for in Ireland.

“If we had a crystal ball that we knew exactly what was going to happen, maybe that would have been an Orange warning, but given the risk at the time – we do not take our warnings lightly at all and we cannot over warn otherwise people will not believe the orange warning when they come,” he said.

A number of schools in affected counties have closed, though others remain open.

In Leitrim, which experienced heavy snow, several primary and secondary schools reported closures, including Carrick-on-Shannon Community School, St Brigid National School, and Lough Allen College.

In neighbouring Longford, many schools have also closed, including in Ballymahon, Longford town and Moyne.

St Mogue’s College in west Cavan said it would stay closed today, noting that buses are not running and power has been lost in the Bawnboy area, where St Aidan’s National School has also closed.

Holy Trinity Primary and Nursery School in Enniskillen wrote on social media that it will be closed today due to “safety concerns” amid heavy snow. Jones Memorial Primary School, also in Enniskillen, has likewise closed.

Many other schools in affected counties have similarly taken the decision to not open this morning or have sent students home early.