Watch out for Ice Saturday on New Canaan Roads

A wintry mess is in store for Saturday in New Canaan and the surrounding area, with snow, freezing rain, rain and more snow as temperatures hover near the freezing point and ice forms on roadways, according to the National Weather Service.

Drive carefully.

From 8 p.m. Friday to 8 p.m. Saturday, the weather service expects just over four inches of snow to fall on New Canaan (not all of which will accumulate), about half an inch of rain and (from 6 to 10 a.m.) almost an inch of freezing rain, according to this Web page (updated as of 9:21 a.m., Friday).

The National Weather Service downgraded its ”Hazardous Weather Outlook” to a “Winter Weather Advisory” currently in effect for midnight Friday/Saturday to 6 p.m. Saturday. In the northern and western New York Metropolitan area and most of southern Connecticut, ice is expected, with as much as 3 to 5 inches in some areas.

“A Winter Weather Advisory means that periods of snow, sleet or freezing rain will cause travel difficulties,” the advisory states. “Be prepared for slippery roads and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving.”

Here’s the weather service’s full, New Canaan-specific weather forecast as of 11:56 a.m. (for hourly updates, see this Web page):

• Friday afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 35. Wind chill values between 25 and 30. Southwest wind around 7 mph.
• Friday night: Snow, mainly after 1 a.m. Low around 26. Southwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
• Saturday: Snow and freezing rain before noon, then rain and snow. High near 33. Wind chill values between 25 and 30. Northeast wind 7 to 14 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch possible. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
• Saturday night: Snow likely, mainly before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. Wind chill values between 20 and 25. West wind 10 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
• Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 36. West wind 9 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
• Sunday night: A chance of snow, mainly after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.
• Monday: A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 28. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.
• Monday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 12.
• Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 21.
• Tuesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 6.
• Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 23.
• Wednesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 12.
• Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 29.