IRELAND SNOW MAP - Where will it snow as Met Éireann issue new weather warnings?

Ireland is in the grips of a cold weather system with temperatures set to plunge to -5 degrees in some sheltered parts of the country on Friday night and Saturday morning.

The Arctic airmass has prompted Met Éireann to issue a series of weather warnings for hard frosts, rain, sleet and even snow in some areas over the coming days. 

Forecasters issued a Status Yellow low temperature/ice warning for all of Ireland on Thursday with the alert coming into place from 9pm on Friday until 10am on Saturday.

Met Éireann say many parts will see "temperatures falling between -1 and -3 degrees generally" as well as "sharp frost and icy conditions."

Potential impacts include hazardous travel conditions on road and underfoot and travel disruption. The weather situation is further complicated by saturated grounds and flooding risks in many areas are a largely wet and miserable start to the year. It may also snow in some areas. MORE BELOW MAP

Met Éireann has also issued a Status Yellow rain/snow warning for Cavan, Donegal, Connacht and Longford. It warns of "rain which will be heavy at times and turning to sleet or snow together with strengthening winds will lead to difficult travel conditions and poor visibility."

This warning is valid from 12pm on Saturday until midnight on Saturday night.

There is also a Status Yellow rain warning out for Cork and Kerry which warns of "rain with heavy falls [that] will lead to spot flooding and difficult travel conditions."

This warning is also valid for 12 hours from 12 noon on Saturday. 

READ NEXT: Snow on the way as entire country hit with Met Éireann weather warning for cold snap

In its wider national forecast, Met Éireann says Friday night will feel "very cold with widespread frost and icy patches.

"It'll be a mainly dry night, apart the odd wintry shower in Ulster and north Connacht. While it will be mostly clear for a time, high cloud will start to build in from the Atlantic overnight. Lowest temperatures of 0 to -4 degrees in light variable breezes."

Their forecast for the weekend and early days of next week continues:

"Cold, dry and bright to begin [on Saturday] with widespread frost and icy patches. Cloud will thicken from the west through the day, with rain spreading northeastwards over the country through the afternoon and evening, turning heavy in parts, and possibly falling as sleet or wet snow for a time, mainly in Connacht and then in Ulster later, before transitioning back to rain. Afternoon highs of just 2 to 5 degrees generally but turning milder from the southwest after dark. Winds will be mostly light southerly to begin, but it will turn windy later as winds back southeasterly and increase fresh to strong and gusty.

"Wet and windy for a time, with spells of heavy rain and some sleet and snow for a time in the north and east [on Saturday night]. Clear spells and scattered showers will follow from the west overnight. Lowest temperatures of 0 to 5 degrees with the fresh to strong and gusty southeasterly winds veering westerly and easing as the rain clears.

"Sunny spells and showers on Sunday, some heavy with a chance of hail and perhaps an isolated thunderstorm in coastal parts. Highest temperatures of 7 to 11 degrees. Becoming breezy in the afternoon with westerly winds increasing moderate to fresh and gusty, strong along western and southwestern coasts.

"Clear spells and scattered blustery showers will continue on Sunday night, some of the showers heavy and of hail and occasionally merging to longer spells of rain at times in the north and west. Lowest temperatures of 1 to 5 degrees with moderate to fresh and gusty westerly winds, strong near western and southwestern coasts.

"It looks like Monday will start out breezy or blustery with showers or longer spells of rain, some heavy with a chance of hail, but there will be sunny spells too. Moderate to fresh and gusty northwesterly winds, strong near western and southwestern coasts will gradually ease by evening and the showers will become increasingly isolated. Highest temperatures of 6 to 10 degrees.

"Apart from a few isolated showers in the north and west, it'll be dry for much of Monday night with clear spells. Cloud will thicken overnight with rain moving into the southwest by morning. Cold with frost and some icy patches. Later in the night, cloud will increase from the west, with rain moving into the southwest. Lowest temperatures of -3 to +3 degrees, coldest in the east and north with some frost and icy patches. Winds will be mostly light and variable, becoming light to moderate southeasterly overnight.

"Any frost and icy patches in the north and east will soon clear as cloud thickens and wet and windy weather extends nationwide by the afternoon [on Tuesday]. The rain will be heavy with spot flooding possible and the chance of some sleet and snow, especially about high ground. Afternoon highs will range from 2 to 10 degrees north to south, in strengthening southerly winds.

"Current indications suggest that after a mostly dry start [on Wednesday], further outbreaks of rain will move in from the Atlantic with a continued chance of spot flooding. Afternoon highs of 7 to 9 degrees in light to moderate variable winds."

Beyond that, it's more bad news as Met Éireann predicts "a mobile Atlantic regime will maintain generally unsettled conditions" over Ireland.