Another cold spell that could bring fresh snow and ice is unlikely to appear before the end of this week, with weather in the intervening period expected to be cold but "relatively pleasant" compared to recently.

But although road conditions around the country are continuing to improve due to the thaw, AA Roadwatch has warned motorists to exercise care. This is particularly true on secondary routes and in housing estates, with pedestrians also finding pathways extremely slippery, it said.

Met Eireann expects Tuesday and Wednesday to be cold and mostly dry with some bright or sunny spells. Temperatures will reach highs of 3ºC to 7ºC and lows of zero to –4ºC at night.

David Rogers of Met Eireann said we can expect "basically settled conditions" up until the middle of this week, when it will be largely dry with the possibility of some rainfall or drizzle in the south-west.

"Generally we are forecasting a calm picture, though there may be some sharp or severe night fogs," he said. "There is a signal there towards the end of the week that temperatures will start to go down, possibly late on Thursday and into Friday. Overall temperatures will be dropping gradually. It is not 100% certain that it will be as cold as the recent extreme weather, where some records have been broken, although there is certainly that risk. It looks as though the second half of December will probably stay with temperatures below normal for this time of year."

AA Roadwatch yesterday reported freezing fog and icy roads in parts of Wicklow, where the Wicklow Gap and the Sally Gap remained impassable. In Kerry, the Conor Pass also remained closed, while there were reports of heavy fog with icy roads in Kinvara, Gort and Ballinasloe in Galway.

"Slow down and use your fog lights, but don't forget to switch them off afterwards," it warned.