Latest Laois Weather: Your Weekend Weather Forecast for Laois

Weekend Weather outlook for Laois

Thursday, 12 January, 2023 ___ Forecasts for Ireland

Courtesy of Irish Weather Online

TRENDS for the week of 12-18 Jan —

— Temperatures will turn colder by Saturday afternoon, and remain cold for most of the week after that, so the average despite a fairly mild start could be 2-3 deg below normal.

— Rainfalls will be about 75 per cent of normal values. Some precipitation will be mixed and wintry by late Saturday onward.

— Sunshine may manage to keep pace or exceed normal amounts, but the main feature will be almost constant strong winds from southwest to west, veering later to northwest or north.

FORECASTS

TODAY will continue very windy with temperatures slowly falling to reach about 7 C by afternoon. A few passing showers or outbreaks of light rain are likely, but there could be some brighter intervals further east. Winds westerly 60-90 km/hr, but 80-120 km/hr at times in exposed west coast locations.

TONIGHT not as windy, occasional light rain or showers, although squally at times further north. Lows 3 to 6 C.

FRIDAY will be mainly dry until late afternoon, with just a few isolated showers in partly cloudy to overcast conditions. Moderate winds will back to southwest 40-70 km/hr. Highs 9-12 C.

SATURDAY rain will move through the southern, central and eastern counties during the early morning with 10-15 mm likely, temperatures steady during the rainfall at about 10 C. Variable cloud and showers further north during the early morning, temperatures around 7 C. All regions will then see a steady temperature drop as colder air moves in on strong westerly winds. Showers may become wintry at times by afternoon as temperatures fall to the 2-5 C range, winds westerly 70-90 km/hr adding a chill.

SUNDAY will remain quite cold with a few outbreaks of sleety mixed precipitation or cold rain, depending on elevation. Winds will not be as strong and will be somewhat variable but mainly northwest to north. Lows -1 to +2 C and highs 4 to 7 C. By Sunday night a sleety mix of rain and snow is likely as somewhat warmer air tries to push back in, but with the cold air well entrenched it may not warm up enough to prevent wet snow from mixing in. Temperatures in the 2-5 C range overnight into early Monday.

MONDAY will be cold and windy with mixed wintry showers, winds northwest to north 40-70 km/hr adding a chill to temperatures in the 4 to 7 C range.

TUESDAY continued windy and cold with some snow on hills, mixed wintry showers closer to sea level. Lows -2 to +2 C and highs 3 to 6 C. The polar low feature is less supported in today’s guidance although there is still an upper level disturbance and stronger winds instead. Winds northwest to north 40-70 km/hr.

WEDNESDAY outbreaks of sleet, mixed rain and snow, with winds northerly 40-70 km/hr remaining strong near Atlantic coasts, somewhat more variable in east as low pressure moves from Scotland towards Irish Sea. Heavy wet snow could fall on higher terrain leaving some locally significant amounts but at the present time the guidance suggests melting mixed precipitation closer to sea level. It will feel very cold with this mixture in temperatures of 2-5 C (which could be a few degrees higher near coasts due to the warmth of nearby oceans and seas).

THURSDAY (19th) will continue to be quite cold and unsettled with mixed wintry showers and moderate northerly winds, lows -1 to +2 C and highs 4 to 7 C.

FRIDAY (20th) the guidance now shows this northerly flow hanging on despite attempts by high pressure further west to move in, but there could be longer dry spells and sunny intervals, lows -3 to +1 C and highs 4 to 7 C.

By the weekend of 21st-22nd that Atlantic high pressure may manage to get close enough to cut off the northerly flow, then as it weakens, a westerly flow of milder air arrives. This won’t necessarily resume the fast and variable pattern we’re in now, but could last a few days before cooler high pressure takes over from a source over central Europe. Changes during the last third of the month are currently indicated to be rather gentle but there could be some sharp frosts if high pressure is nearby. Also the confidence level in any depicted outcome past the end of the cold northerly spell next week is low (at least in my mind). I would not be all that surprised if an entirely different outcome shows up on charts for the week following Friday 20th during the next few days.