Irish punters are being offered short odds on snow before the end of the month, with one bookmaker even suggesting November 2026 could be the coldest ever recorded.

Ladbrokes has priced snow in November at 10/11, which, in the bookies’ eyes, makes it more likely than not. It is also offering 3/1 that this month will be the coldest November on record.

Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes said: ‘We could be grabbing for the thermals sooner than we thought. Snow is a real possibility this month and it’s not beyond belief that this month will be the coldest November on record.’

showers 6/1/2025. Kildare, Leinster, Ireland. Commuters head across the icy roads on the snow covered Curragh Plains in County Kildare as dawn breaks. The country is facing into a week of freezing days and nights with very difficult driving conditions. Photo shows the landscape seconds before the sund rises. Photo: Eamonn Farrell/© RollingNews.ie
A file image of commuters on the snow-covered Curragh Plains in Co Kildare. Pic: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie

However, those reaching for their woolly hats might want to check the official forecast first.

What Met Eireann says

The cold part of the bookies’ prediction may not be far off, at least at night.

Met Eireann’s latest forecast shows high pressure keeping Ireland settled and largely dry for the rest of the week and probably into the weekend.

Tonight is set to be cold, with temperatures dipping as low as -1 degrees in places, along with frost and patches of mist and fog that could become dense in parts of Ulster, Connacht and north Leinster.

By day, it should stay mostly bright, with highs of between 9 and 12 degrees for much of the week, and just a few scattered showers, mainly in the east and south.

An easterly breeze is expected to limit the frost and fog in the middle of the week, but forecasters say the weekend is likely to turn colder again by night, with more frost and fog as winds ease.

What’s missing from the forecast, however, is any sign of snow.

Looking further ahead, Met Eireann’s extended outlook, issued on Friday, points to temperatures around or slightly above normal for the rest of the month, with wetter conditions expected from mid-November. The forecaster stresses that predictions more than a week out have low skill.

Has it snowed in November before?

Snow this month would not be unheard of. This time last year, Status Yellow snow and ice warnings were issued for Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Leitrim and Sligo from November 18 to 20.

But a record-breaking cold month would need a dramatic shift from what forecasters are currently predicting.

For now, keep an eye on Met Eireann’s website and app for the latest forecasts and warnings, particularly if you’re travelling.