Severe Thunderstorm Watch in February?

While snow and ice is no longer a concern, we’re not out of the woods! Now our focus shifts to scattered downpours, gusty thunderstorms and a wild warm-up with temperatures approaching 60 degrees tonight.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for southern Connecticut until 2 AM Thursday. The biggest concern with any thunderstorms that develop will be wind damage. 

A Wind Advisory is in effect from 10 PM Wednesday night into 7 AM Thursday morning. Winds will increase tonight out of the south from  20 to 30 mph with a few gusts between 40 and 50 mph. Those higher wind gusts are most likely within a heavier downpour or thunderstorm. If strong storms develop, gusts could reach 70 mph. Scattered power outages are possible.

Temperatures will sky-rocket tonight, approaching 60 degrees! The warmer air will help boost instability out ahead of tonight’s worst weather.  The heaviest rain and threat for strong storms will be between 11 PM – 3 AM. 

Rain ends before daybreak on Thursday. The rest of the day will be breezy and mild with mostly cloudy skies and the chance for an isolated shower.

Then after an active start to the week, the rest of the week will be very calm in comparison. It’s noticeably cooler Friday and Saturday, in the 30s. But the chill won’t last. 50s return early next week.

Forecast Details:

Tonight: Rainy and warm with areas of fog and the chance for a few embedded gusty thunderstorms. 55-65.

Thursday: Pre-dawn torrential rain and gusty thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, breezy and mild with the chance for an isolated shower. Daytime high: 48-53.

Friday: Mostly sunny, breezy and cooler. High: Mid-upper 30s.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, seasonable.  High: Near 40.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, milder. High: Near 50.

Monday: Mild and breezy with a mix of sun and clouds. Chance for an isolated shower in the afternoon. High: Low-mid 50s.

Snow on the way out

Snow is changing over to sleet and rain now in parts of southern Connecticut. That mixing line will slowly move north. By midnight the snow will be done everywhere. But with areas of drizzle and temperatures near freezing, some inland areas could see an icy glaze with slick spots for a few hours overnight.

We don’t expect big problems for the Wednesday morning commute. Most of the state will be above freezing with patchy fog and drizzle. However, icy spots could linger into early Wednesday for the northwest hills.

Wednesday looks cloudy and cool to start with showers becoming more numerous as the day progresses. Steadier and heavier rain will develop late-day and at night. While daytime highs will be in the 30s, temperatures will soar at night, approaching 60 degrees by pre-dawn Thursday. Torrential rain and gusty thunderstorms are possible before sunrise with winds up to 50 mph.  Scattered power outages are possible too.

Luckily, the worst ends before the morning commute on Thursday. The rest of the day will be breezy and mild with mostly cloudy skies and the chance for a lingering shower in spots.

Then after an active start to the week, the weather calms down Friday into the weekend.

Forecast Details:

Tonight: Snow changes to rain, then tapers off. Drizzle and fog overnight. Areas of freezing drizzle inland. Low: 30-35.

Wednesday: Drizzle and fog for the morning commute. Some icy spots possible in the northwest hills. Periods of rain. Heaviest late and at night. Cool most of the day with rising temps late.  High: 38-45. Temperatures rising into the 50s overnight.

Thursday: Heavy rain and wind in the morning, tapering off in the afternoon. High: 50’s, falling in the 40’s.

Friday: Partly sunny, blustery and cooler. High: Upper 30s.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, seasonable.  High: Near 40.

Sunday: Partly cloudy, mild. High: Near 50.

Here we snow again!

Snowy evening commute Tuesday

Tonight and tomorrow morning will be quiet. Then conditions head downhill with a parade of storms the next 48-hours. Get ready for big swings in temperature and precipitation types as we go from snow to ice to rain and even thunder!

Snow will develop in the afternoon. This may start off as a brief wintry mix for some along the shoreline until the air cools-down enough to support all snow. Snow will be falling everywhere for the evening commute. We’re not expecting much in the way of accumulation, a coating to 2”. But that’s certainly enough to slow you down out there.

After the commute, snow will taper off and transition over to a light wintry mix and then rain showers as milder air moves in. But the cold may remain stubborn in some towns in the northern half of the state (Litchfield, Hartford, Tolland and Windham counties). While at cloud level, it will be warm enough for drizzle, temperatures at the surface might be cold enough freeze anything that falls, forming an icy glaze. That could be an issue heading into the Wednesday morning commute.

After some icy spots to start on Wednesday, temperatures will rise and showers will become more numerous as the day progresses. Steadier and heavier rain will develop late-day and at night as temperatures soar. 50s are expected in the wee hours of Thursday morning with gusty winds and a few rumbles of thunder. Rain will taper off throughout the day Thursday. But not until we collect 1”-2” of rain!

Then after an active start to the work-week, the weather calms down Friday into the weekend.

Forecast Details:

Tonight: Mostly clear. Low: 20s.

Tuesday: Increasing clouds with snow/wintry mix developing in the afternoon. A snowy evening commute. A coating - 2" possible.  High: 35-40.

Wednesday: Icy spots inland in the morning with pockets of freezing drizzle. Periods of rain, heaviest late-day and at night. High: 38-45. Temperatures rising into the 50s overnight.

Thursday: Heavy rain and wind in the morning, tapering off in the afternoon. High: 50’s, falling in the 40’s.

Friday: Partly sunny, blustery and cooler. High: 30’s.

Spring Weekend

A taste of spring returns this weekend with temperatures climbing into the 50s.  The leading edge of milder air will trigger a few rain or snow showers Friday night into early Saturday morning (before sunrise). A few slick spots are possible from 10 PM – 3 AM with temperatures around freezing. Then temperatures will slowly rise towards daybreak around 35-40 degrees.

Clouds will break for some sun on Saturday with high temperatures in the low to mid 50s. Sunday will be a smidge “cooler”, near 50.

We’re keeping a close eye on Sunday night into Monday morning. A fast moving disturbance passing south of Connecticut could bring a period of mix/snow.  While not a guarantee yet, accumulating snow is possible for the morning commute. Keep an eye on the forecast over the weekend for updates.

Wednesday is the next chance for a bigger storm. But saying there is a big range of possible solutions would be an understatement!! Is it a wintry mix/rain if the storm tracks close to the coast? Or will it be snow with a track staying offshore? A new trend in the computer models today has the storm breaking into two weaker pieces. One storm Wednesday followed by another Thursday. Bottom line: snow/ice/rain is possible with potentially messy travel Wednesday – Thursday. But a big snowstorm in unlikely.

Forecast Details:

Tonight: Thickening clouds with the chance for passing rain and snow showers. Low: 30-37.

Saturday: Clouds break for some sun, becoming partly cloudy and mild. High: 50-55.

Sunday: Mild with a mix of sun and clouds. Chance for a rain/snow shower at night. High: Near 50.

Monday: Chance for an early rain/snow shower. Otherwise, partly cloudy, mild. High: Mid-upper 40s.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, cooler. Increasing clouds late. High: Near 40.

Wednesday: Chance for snow/mix/rain. High: Mid-upper 30s.

Warmer Weekend But A Few Chances For Snow

Thursday was noticeably cooler than recent days. But the chill doesn’t stick around. A warm front
Friday night into early Saturday will bring the chance for a light rain or snow shower in spots. It’s possible a handful of towns could get a coating out of this. But nothing too impressive without a lot of moisture to work with. 

By this weekend, spring is back with temperatures near 50 degrees.

Another disturbance will bring the chance for rain/snow showers late Sunday night into early Monday. While this isn’t a big snow threat, it could still cause some issues for the Monday morning commute. Perhaps even accumulating snow.

Don't get nervous or cancel plans over this yet. But it's worth watching this weekend!

On the weather watch:

Wednesday is the next chance for a bigger storm. The whole east coast will need to monitor for potential impacts. That’s a lot of real estate! As of right now, odds favor some impact from this storm here in Connecticut. Is it a wintry mix/rain if the storm tracks close to the coast? Or will it be snow with a track staying offshore? It’s too early to say. BUT I can tell you that odds DO NOT favor a bit snow hit for us.

Forecast Details:

Tonight: Clear, cold. Breezy start with winds diminishing towards daybreak. Low: 10-20.

Friday: Sunshine to start with increasing afternoon clouds. Chance for rain/snow showers at night. High: Mid-upper 30s.

Saturday: Chance for a rain or snow shower early. Otherwise, mostly cloudy and milder. High: Upper 40s-Near 50.

Sunday: Mild with a mix of sun and clouds. Chance for a rain/snow shower at night. High: Near 50.

Monday: Chance for an early rain/snow shower. Otherwise, partly cloudy, mild. High: Mid-upper 40s.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, cooler. High: Near 40.

Cold/White To Warm/Wet

A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect until early Tuesday morning. It's hard to believe we'll go from sub-zero temperatures to 50s and heavy rain in the span of 36 hours!

Snow has filled in and is having no trouble sticking to the ground because of the recent cold. Around 1-3 inches of snow may accumulate before switching over to ice and rain. This changeover will happen from south to north from 8 PM - midnight. Ice will hang out longer and could accumulate on the roads and powerlines for the Connecticut River Valley. This will lead to slippery/icy conditions for some late night drivers and even into the Tuesday morning commute.

The morning drive on Tuesday will be foggy and drizzly. Not much will be falling from the sky. But roads might still be icy, especially for northern valley locations around Hartford, north towards the Massachusetts border. School delays are possible for a handful of towns until that stubborn cold can be scoured out.

This graphic highlights the area we're most concerned about ice for Tuesday morning.
It could be much colder in the northern valley than surrounding areas.

Showers will become more numerous in the afternoon, especially later in the day as temperatures soar into the 50s. Rain will come down heavy at times with the chance for a few rumbles of thunder. Even with lots of melting, river flooding should not be an issue. But poor drainage flooding and puddles are likely during the evening commute.

No more sub-zero temperatures. We're back to another milder pattern with near to above average temperatures for the next week or so.

Tonight: Snow becoming steadier. 1"-3" possible and then a change from snow to ice and then rain. Icing lingers longer for northern CT, especially in the northern valley locations. Low: 25-30. By Tuesday AM commute: 25-45. BIG range in temps.

Tuesday: Cloudy, drizzle and foggy in the morning. Icy spots linger early in far northern CT.  Steady/heavy rain developing in the afternoon. Some heavy at times. High: 50s.

Wednesday: Remaining mild with a mix of sun and clouds. High: 40-45.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, breezy. High: Mid-upper 30s.

Friday: Becoming cloudy. Chance for rain/snow showers late or at night. High: Mid-upper 30s.

Saturday: Chance for a rain or snow shower early. Otherwise, partly cloudy and milder. High: Upper 40s-Near 50.

Quick Shot Of Cold

There is one last chance for flurries or a snow shower Friday night into Saturday morning, courtesy

of an arctic front. Most of the state will stay dry. A few flakes…no big deal but the cold that follows will be. This is the coldest air since last February. But this deep freeze will not last as long. The worst is over by Monday afternoon.

The high temperature Saturday is misleading because it will occur in the morning. Temperatures will crash through the rest of the day as winds pick up, gusting over 35 mph at times. This will send wind chills plummeting below zero through the afternoon.

The worst cold will be Saturday night into Sunday morning with lows between -10 and 0 and wind chills as low as -30 to -20. Records will be challenged on Valentine’s Day morning and in the afternoon. Some towns may fail to make it out of the single digits.

We’re still on the weather watch for Monday night into Tuesday. With the cold en route, you might be surprised that we’re thinking this storm will be more wet than white. Right now it looks like snow is possible Monday night before changing over to rain Tuesday as temperatures soar through the 40s. A lot can change between now and then though. So please check back for updates throughout the weekend.

Forecast Details:

Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Chance for an isolated snow shower. Low: 9-15.

Tomorrow: Chance for an isolated morning snow shower, otherwise partly cloudy, windy and bitterly cold. Highs will occur early with free-falling temps through the afternoon. High: Mid-upper 10s.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, breezy and extremely cold. Morning wind chills start between -30 to -20. 

High: 8-15.

Monday: Increasing clouds. Chance for snow developing at night. High: Upper 20s-low 30s.

Tuesday: A wintry mix likely changing to rain as temperatures soar back into the 40s.

Wednesday: Remaining mild with a mix of sun and clouds. High temperatures in the lower to middle 40s.

Bitterly Cold Valentine's Day Weekend

There is one last chance for flurries or a snow shower Friday night into Saturday morning, courtesy of an arctic front. Most of the state will stay dry. A few flakes…no big deal but the cold that follows will be. This is the coldest air since last February. But this deep freeze will not last as long. The worst is over by Monday afternoon.

The high temperature Saturday is misleading because it will occur in the morning. Temperatures will crash through the rest of the day as winds pick up, gusting over 35 mph at times. This will send wind chills plummeting below zero through the afternoon.

The worst cold will be Saturday night into Sunday morning with lows between -10 and 0 and wind chills as low as -30 to -20. Records will be challenged on Valentine’s Day morning and in the afternoon. Some towns may fail to make it out of the single digits.

We’re still on the weather watch for Monday night into Tuesday. With the cold en route, you might be surprised that we’re thinking this storm will be more wet than white. Right now it looks like snow is possible Monday night before changing over to rain Tuesday as temperatures soar through the 40s. A lot can change between now and then though. So please check back for updates throughout the weekend.

Forecast Details:

Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Chance for an isolated snow shower. Low: 9-15.

Tomorrow: Chance for an isolated morning snow shower, otherwise partly cloudy, windy and bitterly cold. Highs will occur early with free-falling temps through the afternoon. High: Mid-upper 10s.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, breezy and extremely cold. Morning wind chills start between -30 to -20. High: 8-15.

Monday: Increasing clouds. Chance for snow developing at night. High: Upper 20s-low 30s.

Tuesday: A wintry mix likely changing to rain as temperatures soar back into the 40s.

Wednesday: Remaining mild with a mix of sun and clouds. High temperatures in the lower to middle 40s.

Colder, Windier Days Ahead

Snow has come to an end tonight. But the break will be short-lived. Flakes fly again tomorrow and perhaps Saturday morning. Even with some nuisance snow in the forecast, the big story is the harsh, potentially record breaking cold that follows this weekend.

Snow showers will redevelop again on Thursday. Once again activity will be hit or miss. Some towns will get very little or no snow while others could get a quick coating to an inch or two. Winds will pick up throughout the day with gusts up to 30 miles an hour. Temperatures will be much colder than recent days with highs in the 20s and wind chills in the 10s.

As bitter cold arrives Friday night into Saturday morning, there is one last shot at snow showers. This doesn’t look like much but it’s worth mentioning so you don’t get caught off guard.

Get your hats, scarves and gloves ready to go heading into this weekend. High temperatures will be in the teens both days. Low temperatures Sunday morning will be below zero and when you factor in the wind, it will feel more like -30 to -20 to start off the day!

The frigid blast only lasts a couple of days though. In fact, the next storm late Monday night into Tuesday may be mainly rain with temperatures in the 40s. All in a New England week!

Forecast Details:

Not sure what I was smiling about....

Tonight: Partly cloudy with snow showers developing towards daybreak. Low: 17-25.

Tomorrow: Windy and colder with scattered snow showers. High: 23-28.

Friday: Mostly sunny, breezy and cold. High: mid-upper 20s.

Saturday: Morning snow possible, otherwise windy and bitterly cold. High: Mid-upper 10s.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, breezy and extremely cold. Morning wind chills start between -30 to -20. High: Low-mid 10s.

More snow & cold. Winter is back!

Another snowy day started off the work week. The snow caused numerous problems with accidents across the state this afternoon, and will continue to do so through the evening commute. Light to occasionally moderate snow will slowly taper off, ending around or before midnight for most of the state.

There’s no denying it now. Winter isn’t over yet. This week offers a sharp contrast from last week’s spring-like 50s. There are several chances for snow, not to mention the coldest air of the season this weekend.  

Timing this week’s potential snow:

One round of snow showers Wednesday could bring a light accumulation, on the order of a coating to two inches in spots.

An arctic front Thursday will trigger a round of snow squalls, brief bursts of snow and gusty winds. Snow squalls are infamous for bringing rapid changes in weather like brief white-out conditions and a quick coatings of snow.

The biggest question mark is late Friday night into Saturday morning. There are some signals for accumulating snow. Most of our computer models show little impact through this time-frame. But it’s still worth watching, especially heading into the big Valentine’s Day weekend.

Biggest cold snap of the year-to-date:

This weekend will be bitterly cold with highs in the teens and low temperatures in single digits to below-zero!! A breeze at times this weekend could send wind chills into the “dangerous” category.

Tonight: Cloudy with periods of light to moderate snow, tapering off around/before midnight. An additional coating -3" possible. Low: 15-20.

Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy.  High: 30-35.

Tomorrow Night: Snow showers could bring another coating - 1" in spots. But accumulations will be hit or miss. Low: 18-25.

Wednesday: Chance for snow showers, mainly in the morning. Otherwise, mostly cloudy. High: Mid-upper 30s.

Thursday: Windy and colder with a few bursts of snow possible. High: Near 30.

Friday: Partly cloudy, breezy and cold. High: mid-upper 20s.

Saturday: Morning snow possible, otherwise windy and bitterly cold. High: Mid-upper 10s.

Sunday: Still frigid cold. Morning lows below zero, afternoon highs in the teens.