THIS WEEK WILL see a wintry mix of rain and sleet, with the snow risk increasing and possibly marked for Thursday night, the Irish Weather Network says.

According to the IWN, Tuesday will be a cold day after a frosty start with mixed weather across the country. Icy patches are likely on untreated roads first thing especially where showers have fallen during Monday night. Over Leinster and Ulster, dry and bright weather for much of the day but turning cloudy through the evening.

Over Munster and Connaught, more in the way of cloud with outbreaks of rain developing. This cloud and rain will spread gradually to remaining parts but may be slow to reach the east and northeast until after midnight on Tuesday. The rain will turn heavy over Munster and may turn to sleet or wet snow in some places over the north midlands and Ulster later Tuesday night. Highest temperatures today of 4 to 8C, mildest in the southwest and west. Winds will settle into a south to southeast direction and become breezy later in the day.

Wednesday will be generally cloudy across Leinster and Ulster and cold with some lingering rain or sleet over the eastern half of the island. More in the way of brightness in the west and here will see the best temps reaching 8 to 10C. In the cloudy parts of the east and north, it will continue cold with highs of 3 to 5C. The rain will die out but cloudy conditions will remain for most. A few clear spells may develop and where these occur, temperatures will dip close to 0C but they should stay above for most places.

Thursday will be another cold day but much brighter. Later in the day, cloud will once again build over the southwest with rain developing and again where it meets slightly colder air in the east and north, it could turn to sleet or even wet snow for a time in the north and northeast before turning back to rain later in the night. Highs of 4 to 7C, coldest towards the east and north are expected.

The weather looks likely to be unsettled and chilly  for Friday and the weekend with showers of longer spells of rain with low pressure to the west dominating.