Snow day: Try telling children and dogs that today wasn't a special day to be alive

With many boys and girls getting a snow day off schools, and others being told it wouldn’t be frowned upon if they didn’t turn up, kids across Northern Ireland woke up to a blanket of snow, perfect for sledding, creating snowmen and snow angels or just throwing clumps of it at their parents.

Dogs too were having a field day in back gardens and public parks, the younger ones never having experienced this magic powder before – suddenly a landscape with which they were all too familiar had been painted white.

But in typical doggy fashion apprehensive sniffs were soon following by dashes through the snow.

Sadly the fun might not last as strong sun is quickly melting away the source of amusement to be replaced by ice which brings little joy to anyone.