Hazardous Weather Outlook Issued for Simsbury

By Brian McCready (Patch Staff)

It’s only fitting after the winter we’ve had that snow is in the forecast for the first day of spring.

The National Weather Service has issued a “Hazardous Weather Outlook” for Hartford and Tolland counties. (The local forecast specifically for Simsbury is at the bottom of this article.)

A “Winter Weather Advisory” has also been issued for Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex, and New London counties from 6 a.m., Friday to 2 a.m., Saturday.

A total of 2 to 4 inches of snow is forecast for the advisory counties, while 2 to 3 inches is forecast for Hartford and Tolland counties. Higher amounts are possible in certain areas.

Timing

The National Weather Service predicts snow will begin falling as soon as the morning commute in parts of the state, and continue through Friday’s commute home from work for the areas when an advisory has been posted.

For Hartford and Tolland counties snow will start later and isn’t expected to pick up in intensity until late afternoon and evening on Friday.

WTNH News 8 Meteorologist Gil Simmons writes snow should begin around noon and blanket the entire state by 3 p.m. He predicts communities closest to the shoreline, especially those communities closer to the New York line in Fairfield County will receive the most snow, possibly 5 inches or more.

Simmons predicts the heaviest snow falls between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday. He also writes it’s possible some schools will have an early dismissal on Friday.

The National Weather Service writes hazardous travel conditions are possible due to reduced visibility and snow covered roads.

NBC Connecticut Meteorologist Darren Sweeney writes “the first hours of spring will feature.. Snow. ( it hurts to even type this)

“Friday: it looks like snow begins during the afternoon and could become moderate to even heavy for a time during the evening. Tough to accumulate during the daytime this time of year but we have a shot at it, especially since the heaviest comes around the time the sun sets.

“Cruel for the first day of spring? YES!

“IT SHOULD BE WORTH REMINDING ... this time of year any slight shifts and any subtle changes can mean big big changes, often times leading to busted forecasts. This is not a lock by any stretch. Snow wraps Friday night, near 40° over the weekend.”

Here’s the Simsbury-specific forecast from the National Weather Service (as of the 11:51 a.m. update):

• Thursday afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 36. Northwest wind around 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
• Thursday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 17. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
• Friday: Snow likely, mainly after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.
• Friday night: A chance of snow, mainly before 2am. Cloudy, with a low around 23. Light north wind. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.
• Saturday: A slight chance of snow before 11am, then a slight chance of rain and snow between 11am and noon, then a slight chance of rain after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
• Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 25.
• Sunday:Mostly sunny, with a high near 36.
• Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 16.
• Monday: Sunny, with a high near 36.
• Monday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 19.
• Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 41.
• Tuesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 24.
• Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 48.