While spring traditionally begins in Ireland on the 1st of February, on Saint Brigid's Day, meteorological winter continues through until the 1st of March.

We have had some snow already in 2021 here in Ireland but most has now melted with warmer and wetter temperatures returning. In fact we had a 14C temperature change in 48 hours from -7 degrees Celsius to +7 degrees.

Typically we would see about a week of snow in the southwest, the warmest and wettest part of Ireland, to three weeks in the higher ground of the Wicklow Mountains and north midlands of Ireland. Away from the west coast essentially.

The first week of 2021 in Ireland has seen the return of cold, clear and typical winter weather.

A Sudden Stratospheric Warming is taking place that could see the return of the cold conditions that brought the Beast from the East in 2018 and the cold winter of 2010 and 2011.

Here, one of the first sunsets of 2021 from the Irish countryside. A green field, frost and distant mountains under a blue winter sky.

More snow has arrived since, although not much; however, winter 2021 has some way to go yet, it is not over and we should expect more cold, ice and, likely, snow.

Happy New Year from Ireland.