Wintry Weather Arrives, Prior to 1st Day of Winter

Here’s a word in our forecast that we haven’t used yet this month — “wind chill factor.”

After half-a-month of 50-degree temps and even an occasional 60-degree day, we’re expecting temps in the upper 30s to around 40 degrees on both Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 19 and 20. Friday’s temperatures begin to fall by late afternoon.

Saturday will be windy and temperatures will feel like they’re in the teens to 20s. Hartford and Tolland counties may even see some snow flurries after 2 p.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

Saturday night’s temperatures will drop below freezing, with wind chill values of 15 to 20. The cold weather continues on Sunday, but then we’re back to what we’ve been accustomed to for Christmas week — 50s and 60s.

On Tuesday, Dec. 22 — the official first day of winter — the average temperature will be in the mid-50s and a chance of rain is in the forecast until Friday. Temperatures on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day may reach the 60s.

Here is a detailed forecast via the National Weather Service:

• Saturday: Mostly sunny with temps in the upper 30s to near 40 degrees. Winds will be 15 mph to gusts up to 30 mph at times and the windchill value will make it feel like 15-25 degrees for northern CT and 20-30 degrees for Southern Connecticut

• Saturday night: Temps in the low to mid 20s

• Sunday: sunny with temps in the low 40s

• Monday: sunny with temps in the low 50s

• Tuesday through Friday: chance of showers and rain each day with temps in the 50s to near 60 degrees

Photo by wit, via flickr creative commons