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26th February 2018
09:19am GMT
The Irish Independent is reporting that Met Éireann is expected to upgrade the current Status Yellow warning that is in place to a Status Orange followed by a Status Red later in the week.
What has been described as "dynamic snow" and a "Siberian Freeze" will begin on Tuesday when cold air from Siberia, originating in the North Pole will start in the east and travel westwards across Ireland.
By the middle of the week, there is going to be a "fair amount of snow along eastern coastal counties," according to Evelyn Cusack, deputy head of forecasting who told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.
"From Wednesday evening, Wednesday night and Thursday morning we are talking about snow showers from the Irish sea.
"The high danger area for country-wide is Thursday evening, Thursday night and Friday morning," she said.
This "dynamic snow" is expected to come as a result of a "two-pronged attack" bringing with it a high risk of some very heavy snow.
Met Éireann has been unable to judge just exactly how much snow there will be but temperatures as low as -10c are expected.
A Status Orange warning is expected to be issued for Tuesday night and Wednesday morning followed by a Status Red later in the week.
"We generally would not issue a red in advance of a 48-hour period," said Cusack on Morning Ireland and told people to keep an eye on the Met Éireann website for updates.
The Department of Education has said that it is monitoring the situation throughout Ireland but that decisions to cold schools are taken at a local level.
Baby it's cold outside but you ain't seen nothing yet!
— Derek Brockway - weatherman (@DerekTheWeather) February 25, 2018
The 'Beast from the East' will arrive tomorrow moving across the #UK & #Ireland
Likely to be a historic & memorable cold spell!
Keep an eye on elderly or vulnerable friends & neighbours
Check your car antifreeze ❄⚠ pic.twitter.com/fpG8JFT03P
This map by BBC weatherman, Derek Brockway, shows what the "Beast from the East" is capable of doing in a two day period in what he described as a "likely to be a historic & memorable cold spell".
