Wintry Mix Arriving Sooner Than Expected

The National Weather Service updated its forecast to reflect how the wintry mix is beginning earlier than originally expected.

Your Local Forecast

Monday: A chance of freezing rain and sleet before midnight, then snow and sleet likely between midnight and 4 a.m, then freezing rain and sleet after 4 a.m. Areas of fog after 2 a.m. Temperature rising to around 32 by 1 a.m. Wind chill values between 20 and 25. Northeast wind 9 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Little or no ice accumulation expected. Total nighttime snow and sleet accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Tuesday: Rain and sleet, becoming all rain after 8 a.m. The rain could be heavy at times. Areas of fog. High near 42. Wind chill values between 20 and 30. East wind 7 to 15 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Tuesday Night: A chance of rain before 10 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32. Northwest wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Wednesday: A slight chance of rain after 1 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 49. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Wednesday Night: Rain likely, mainly before midnight. Cloudy, with a steady temperature around 40. South wind around 6 mph becoming light and variable. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Original Post:

The National Weather Service’s forecast for the first winter storm of the year for Connecticut continues to change, and this latest change means it’s officially the first storm of the year.

A Winter Weather Advisory was issued for all of Connecticut, minus the immediate Connecticut coastline from Greenwich to New London.

The biggest complication from this storm won’t be the snow. Rather, it’s the timing of the expected precipitation and the belief it will have an impact on Tuesday’s commute to work.

For southern Fairfield, New Haven and Middlesex counties, the advisory begins at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 28, and extends until 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The hazard largely pertains to the expected sleet and freezing rain. We’re only expecting a trace of snow and ice accumulation. An advisory was issued because roadways and sidewalks will likely be slippery.

When Will the Wintry Weather Start?

Snow is predicted to begin around 3 a.m. early Tuesday and mix in with sleet and freezing rain by daybreak. The changeover to rain is forecasted to occur by Tuesday morning.

Photo by Eric Bégin, via flickr creative commons