Met Eireann has confirmed that snow will hit parts of Ireland this week with temperatures plunging to -4C.
Wednesday and Thursday will see a sharp turn in the weather. Wednesday will be bitterly cold with temperatures falling as low as -3 or -4 degrees in some places. There will be a widespread sharp to severe frost and ice on untreated surfaces with snow in parts of the country.
On Thursday there will be showers of sleet, snow and hail, with Dublin likely to be effected. That night temperatures will drop to between -4C and -2C with more wintry showers.
Read more: Met Eireann forecast temperatures to take an icy plunge ahead of expected snowfall this week
Read more: Met Eireann confirms exact day snow will hit Ireland along with 'bitterly cold' temperatures
So what does this mean for schools? While there are no official warnings in place right now, there could be weather alerts later in the week. Here are the rules around school closures during extreme winter weather.
Safety:
If there is extreme ice around the grounds of the school or if there is a blanket of snow, it may not be safe for students and staff to go to school. If ice and snow cannot be removed from the grounds of school, the building may have to close.
The ability for parents, students, staff, and school transport services to commute on roads will also be taken into consideration. If local roads and footpaths are too dangerous to use due to ice or snow, the school may close.
This is the the most common reason for schools deciding to close their doors.
Classroom temperatures:
According to the Irish National Teachers Organisation, classrooms need to be heated to minimum of 16C by 10AM. So if there is no heating on a cold day, the school may close.
Most schools will have proper heating systems so this is unlikely to cause closures. However, if pipes are frozen or if they break, classes may not go ahead.
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