The cold weather returned to the county this week as it emerged that January was the coldest on record for 25 years.
Much of the county saw heavy snowfalls yesterday after Met Éireann had issued a severe weather warning for Donegal and seven other north western counties on Tuesday night. Sleet and snow accumulations of up to 6cm were predicted, but the wintry showe
rs cleared away in the afternoon and evening.
The cold temperatures were to continue last night with a sharp to severe ground frost and lows of minus three to zero degrees celcicus. Temperatures were expected to rise today again with highs of between five and eight degrees.
The low temperatures and sleet and snow were reminiscent of the severe weather of December and January which caused widespread disruption across Donegal and the rest of the country. Met Éireann said the four-week cold snap from December to January was the coldest the country had seen since 1963 and that January was the coldest January for 25 years.
Temperatures recorded at Malin Head were one degree celcicus below the normal for the period from 1961 to 1990. January was, however, drier than usual with recorded rainfall just 61 per cent of normal at Malin Head.
