Met Eireann has issued three separate warnings for 10 counties today as freezing weather and stormy winds hit.
The forecaster is predicting snow on higher ground with Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo all under yellow snow/ice warning until 7am this morning.
The same five counties will be under a status yellow wind warning from 11am today until 11pm tonight.
Met Eireann are predicting gusts of up to 100km/h with a slight risk of coastal flooding.
Another status yellow wind warning will take effect in Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford from 4pm until 6am on Saturday.
Nationwide the weather is expected to stay extremely cold for the next few days with no rise in temperatures expected until Wednesday at the earliest.
A Met Eireann forecaster said: "Very cold this morning, with widespread frost at first and some icy stretches on untreated surfaces.
"Many areas dry in the morning, with sunny spells, but scattered showers will occur in Connacht, west Munster and west Ulster, some wintry.
"A spell of more persistent rain will develop in the northeast and will extend gradually across the country during the morning and afternoon, with a few heavier bursts, especially in the east and north.
"Some wintry falls possible, especially over high ground. Becoming very windy, with north to northwest winds increasing strong and gusty, Maximum temperatures 5 to 8 Celsius.
"Tonight will be very windy, with outbreaks of showery rain at times, but clearer conditions, with scattered showers , will extend gradually from the east. Cold, minimum temperatures of 2 to 4 degrees in fresh to strong northerly winds, easing in most parts by morning.
"Brightening up on Saturday with sunny spells. Many areas will be dry, but there will be some scattered showers, mainly in Atlantic coastal counties and also in northern and eastern coastal areas.
"Maximum temperatures 5 to 8 degrees, in mostly moderate north to northeast winds, strong for a time on western and southern coasts, but slackening later."
