It's been more than a decade since Ireland had an official 'White Christmas' - that is, snow falling on Christmas Day, December 25.

It looks like the stretch will continue through Christmas 2025, as no snow is forecast, but cold temperatures are in store.

Met Éireann said in its national forecast on Wednesday that Christmas Day will be "a dry and bright day for many with sunny spells for most.

"It may be cloudier at times near eastern and southern coasts.

"Chilly, with daytime highs of around 4 to 7 degrees and feeling colder, especially along eastern and southern coasts with an added wind chill effect from moderate, occasionally fresh, and gusty east to northeast winds.

"Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate."

Christmas Day weather in Ireland

In his forecast delivered on Wednesday afternoon, Met Éireann meteorologist Mark Bowe said: "Well, it is Christmas Eve, and Santa has given us all an early Christmas present as the weather is overall very calm, settled, and actually rather nice under any of that winter sunshine.

"Now, high pressure's been delivered like a secret surprise in our weather stocking  - it's going to stay around for the next few days. We can expect plenty of dry weather and sunshine this festive season, although it will be quite cold.

"That high pressure has kind of dragged in some cooler air for a time, and there's a bit of cloud around as well, so it'll make it feel rather gloomy at times.

"For today anyway, we've got clear skies out there, plenty of dry weather, plenty of sunshine as well. That's going to continue right the way through until tonight as well.

"Highs today will reach around 6°C to 9°C, but they're going to drop right off tonight, going down to around 1°C or -2°C widely around the country. 

"So it'll be a very cold and a frosty start tomorrow morning on Christmas Day.

"Christmas Day itself, it will be largely fine and dry with plenty of sunshine again, but it is going to be cold. Highs are struggling at around 3°C to just about 6°C or 7°C, so you're going to need to wrap up, just like Santa Claus.

"Now, the pleasant weather is going to stay with us through Friday, Stephen's Day, and into the weekend, but the nights will be cold with frost and icy stretches possible."

White Christmases in Ireland

Speaking to RTE Drivetime on Monday, Alan O'Reilly of Carlow Weather gave a brief overview of White Christmases in Ireland.

"We actually had a number of them [White Christmases] in the 80s and in the 90s and in 2009 and in 2010, but 2010 was the last white Christmas," O'Reilly said.

"So it is very much something that we've been dreaming of for a number of years.

"We used to get one every seven years on average in Ireland, but really, we're 14 years of waiting.

"Climate change is playing its part, too, in terms of milder weather."

O'Reilly also explained what the official definition of a White Christmas is: "Generally, in Ireland and the UK, it's snow falling on Christmas Day. 

"And, very often - anywhere really, it counts - but the bookmakers, it normally is the airport, so like Dublin Airport, Edinburgh Airport [in Scotland].

"So, generally, it's snow falling at any time in the 24 hour period on Christmas Day."