WEATHER UPDATE: Freezing Rain, Hazardous Weather Outlook Issued for Manchester

By Rich Scinto (Patch Staff)

Piles of snow are starting to give way to patches of grass on Connecticut lawns, but that doesn’t mean we are out of the woods yet.

Those going out in northern Connecticut this weekend will have to contend with potentially freezing rain that could make travel slippery and dangerous.

The National Weather Service has issued a “Hazardous Weather Outlook” for Tolland and Hartford counties that begins on Saturday.

The forecast has already caused some St. Patrick’s Day weekend celebrations like the Hartford parade to be postponed.

The bulk of precipitation on Saturday will be rain, but there is also potential for freezing rain as well, according to the NWS. Freezing rain will be most likely in the early to mid-morning hours on Saturday.

Any ice accumulation would be minimal, but could potentially be hazardous on the roadways.

There may be a freezing rain advisory announced in the near future for the area.

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NBC Connecticut Meteorologist Darren Sweeney writes on Facebook that for the weekend expect:

“As mentioned in my last post, the amount of wintry precip we get over the weekend depends on amount of cold air, evolution of storm track etc.

It looks like mostly a cold rain with some sleet freezing rain early on in the am. Don’t be surprised to see some snow showers on Sunday. Looks like a blustery and chilly week ahead.

We go from 50ish and feeling fab, to feeling wind chills. You have to just love March in New England,” Sweeney wrote on social media.

Only one more week until Spring!

Here is the National Weather Service’s hyperlocal weekend forecast for Manchester (as of the 12:53 p.m. update):

Friday Afternoon: Partly sunny, with a high near 40. Light south wind.

• Tonight: A chance of freezing rain, mainly after 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30. Light south wind. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Saturday: Rain, possibly mixed with freezing rain, becoming all rain after 7am. Patchy fog. High near 44. Light southeast wind. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
• Saturday Night: Rain showers likely, mainly between 9pm and 10pm. Cloudy, with a low around 33. Light northwest wind. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
• Sunday: A chance of snow showers before 11am, then a chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43. Northwest wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25.
• Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 46.