Winter Weather Advisory Issued for Durham, Middlefield

Written By Brian McCready (Patch Staff) and Jaimie Cura

Happy almost first day of spring!

The National Weather Service issued a Winter Weather Advisory for New London, Middlesex, Fairfield and New Haven counties for most of Friday, March 20.

A total of 2-4 inches of snow is forecast for the area. 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.

WTNH News 8 Meteorologist Gil Simmons writes snow should begin around noon and fall across 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 NWS cautions on possible hazardous travel conditions 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.”

Your Local Forecast

Friday: Snow likely, mainly after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. Wind chill values between 20 and 25. Calm wind becoming east around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Friday Night: Snow likely, mainly before midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 25. Northeast wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Saturday: A chance of snow before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 44. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday Night: A slight chance of rain showers before midnight, then a slight chance of snow showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 26. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Photo by cogdogblog, via flickr creative commons