March 1, 2024: A person walking through a snowy Albert College Park Ballymun Road in Dublin.RollingNews.ie

Ireland, as well as Met Éireann, was taken by surprise by heavy snowfall across Ireland this morning, Friday, March 1, which the Irish National Meteorological Service considers the start of spring.

"Snow is notoriously the most difficult meteorological parameter to forecast for in Ireland," Met Éireann meteorologist Brandon Creagh said on RTÉ Radio on Friday morning.

"If we had a crystal ball that we knew exactly what was going to happen, maybe that would have been an orange warning, but given the risk at the time, we don't take our warnings lightly at all and we can't over-warn otherwise people will not believe the orange warning when they come.

"So the warnings that were put out were based on the most solid evidence at the time."

Creagh said the snow should "transition" into rain later on Friday and said Met Éireann did not issue a more severe "Orange" warning because such warnings require more than 3 cm of snow within a 24-hour period. 

A Status Yellow Snow and Ice Warning is in effect for Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wexford, Wicklow, and all six counties of Munster until 6 pm on Friday.

A Status Yellow Rain warning is in place for Dublin, Louth, Meath, and Wicklow until 3 am on Saturday, while a nationwide ice warning will also be in place from 6 pm on Friday until 9 am on Saturday. 

The heavy snowfall caused travel disruption on Friday morning and also forced some school closures. 

The Dart was suspended between Sandymount and Blackrock on Friday morning due to the snowy conditions, with Dublin Bus accepting rail tickets. 

Dublin Bus said its services are operating but subject to delays, with diversions in place across the city, causing delays to all routes. 

Dublin Airport said its flights are running on schedule, although the Irish Times reports that one passenger said her flight to Malaga was delayed for more than three hours due to a wait for de-icing equipment. 

CEO of the Royal Irish Automobile Club Conor Faughnan said it was a dangerous morning for Irish motorists, particularly in Dublin. 

"The driver has to be extra careful on a day like today," Faughnan said.

"Things like braking distances cannot be relied upon so you really have to drive very very slowly." 

Faughnan additionally warned motorists to be conscious of vulnerable road users. 

A number of schools in Cavan, Leitrim, Dublin, and Longford were closed on Friday due to weather, although there is no obligation for schools to close during a Status Yellow Weather Warning. 

Meanwhile, the Irish Refugee Council shared photographs on Friday morning of "terrible and distressing conditions" outside the International Protection Office, stating that refugees' tents were "collapsing under snow and water". 

"We are deeply concerned by this situation," The Irish Refugee Council said. 

Fine Gael election candidate Cllr. James Geoghegan criticized Met Éireann's response to the snowfall.

"Nobody expects our national meteorological service to get it right every time, but when forecasts and warnings are understated, it’s important we learn from it," Geoghegan said. 

"It’s a bit a glib for Met Eireann to say on the radio this morning that it didn’t have a crystal ball when traffic is at a standstill with road and footpath conditions in a treacherous state.

"Snow in Dublin or Ireland generally is a rare event, but it can be as dangerous for road users as the risks of a falling tree from high winds, which is why Orange weather warnings are issued." 

Geoghegan said the "system has failed" on this occasion, claiming that there is insufficient grit on footpaths and that there is "chaos" on the M50 motorway. 

"No lessons seem to have been learned from past events, and whatever about predicting the weather when the snow does come, our local authorities and public transport providers should have a plan in place to protect public safety and avoid the city simply shutting down," Geoghegan added.