IT WILL BE a dry but chilly Christmas week, as any rain is expected to ease off by Wednesday.

But the chances of a white Christmas are slim.

Liz Walsh, a forecaster at Met Éireann, told The Journal what we can expect over the festive season.

Between now and Tuesday, she said, it’ll be wet and damp in parts of Ulster and Leinster. It’ll also get colder, with highest temperatures expected to be between 4 and 8 degrees.

The west and southwest will be colder and drier.

“As we head towards Christmas Eve, it’s going to dry out,” she said.

This is due to high pressure, which will persist through Christmas Day and the weekend that follows.

“Christmas Eve, at the moment, could be a bit foggy because the wind isn’t that strong and there’ll be leftover moisture from the rain in the preceding days.

“But on Christmas Day, the winds are likely to become a bit more moderate, so that should mix out any fog.”

A dry day with some sunshine is expected, with highs of around 3 to 7 degrees.

Walsh says there’s potential for some “wintry falls” on higher ground, as temperatures will drop below zero in some areas at nighttime. 

“However, the chances of a white Christmas are limited by the fact that we’re not actually expecting any precipitation,” she said.

Walsh added: “It might be a white Christmas in that it could be frosty.”

Met Éireann’s published forecast adds that Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are likely to be “rather cold” with crisp winter sunshine as well as frost and ice to begin and end each day.