Does It Snow In Ireland?

Does it snow in Ireland? That’s one of the most common questions when it comes to visiting Ireland.

The short answer is yes. But it’s actually rare occurrence contrary to what people expect.

Ireland has a mild, humid, and it gets abundant rain all throughout the year but it doesn’t have an extreme temperature.

Read on to find out when and where you can enjoy the snow season in Ireland.

Things you'll find in this article

Does It Snow In Ireland?
How cold does it get in Ireland?
What months does it snow in Ireland?
Where does it snow in Ireland?
Does it hail in Ireland?
Is winter the best time to visit Ireland?

How cold does it get in Ireland?

Ireland doesn’t have extreme temperatures and it does have milder winter if you will compare the weather of the country with places such as Newfoundland, Canada, and Sakhalin, Russia, which are both in the same latitude as Ireland.

Between January to February, the temperature goes between 4° to 7° Celcius and that is the coldest Ireland gets.

What months does it snow in Ireland?

Ireland rarely sees snow and it normally falls between January to February.

Depending on the location, the country gets an average of 5 days of snowfall in the Southwest and up to 24 days in the north midlands during the winter season.

Ireland also normally gets between 1-2 cm of snow. Because of its oceanic climate, the annual temperature ranges are very narrow so both the winter frost and summer heat are very rare.

Where does it snow in Ireland?

The snowiest parts of Ireland are the Clones in County Monaghan and the Wicklow Mountains in County Wicklow which can last up to a month and Valentia Island in County Kerry gets the least snow in Ireland.

Does it hail in Ireland?

Malin Head

Like snow, hail is also not that common in Ireland. But it can occur at any time of the year and it’s more common during the Spring season when thunderstorms are present.

According to the local weather stats, Malin Head in County Donegal gets the most hail every year with an average of 48 days every year and Roche’s Point in County Cork gets the least hail with an average of 8 days annually.

Is winter the best time to visit Ireland?

The best time to visit Ireland depends on your personal preference. Winter might be ideal for some due to less crowd and cheaper prices but summer might be preferred by some due to more available activities and better weather in general.

You can check this article for when is the best time to visit Ireland to help you decide.

Also, if you are interested to check the weather in Ireland every month, check out our monthly guides for more information:

Christine Rogador

Hi, I’m Christine – a full-time traveler and career woman. Although I’m from the Philippines, my location independent career took me to over 40 countries for the past 8 years. I also lived in 3 continents – from the Caribbean, South East Asia to Africa. But despite living in several countries, my love for Ireland remains the same. A country that had been a part of my life since I was 14 because of my love for Irish music and bands. Ireland Travel Guides was born because of this passion and hopefully, in some little ways, this website will be able to help you on your next trip to Ireland.