Connecticut Weather: Hazardous Weather Outlook Issued

There has been a lot of talk in recent days that Connecticut may see its first accumulating snow of the season this weekend. And then earlier on Wednesday, the chances appeared to grow dim based on the recent storm track, but all of a sudden the National Weather Service gave hope to all of those folks who love snow.

The National Weather Service has now issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the entire state for Friday night and Saturday. Hartford and Tolland counties have been under a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the past couple of days in anticipation of this weekend’s possible snow.

The inclusion of all of southern Connecticut by the National Weather Service is new. While a Hazardous Weather Outlook has been issued for the state, it still appears there is plenty of uncertainty over what this “storm” will do and plenty of skepticism remains from Connecticut meteorologists.

In its new advisory for southern Connecticut, the National Weather Service says, “There is the potential for 1 to 2 inches of snow late Friday night into Saturday across eastern Long Island and southeast Connecticut as offshore low pressure passes to the south and east. A westward shift in the track, although a low probability at this time, would bring a heavier snowfall event to the coast and an accumulating snow across the interior and the New York City metro area.”

For Hartford and Tolland counties, the updated advisory states that “accumulating snow is possible” but there are no accumulation estimates made. The weather service says the exact track will determine how much accumulation the region will see, and it didn’t rule out a mix either.

NBC Connecticut Meteorologist Ryan Hanrahan‏ said the “National Weather Service (is) pretty bullish on Saturday snow. Seems overdone by a factor or 2 at least.” He added that he believes “some snow seems likely ... I think odds of measurable snow are still less than 50/50.”

WTNH News 8 Meteorologist Fred Campagna wrote Wednesday night, “It's still too early to put numbers on the map with any confidence, but the snow looks pretty light right now, even in southeastern Connecticut. The track of the storm is uncertain, and a slight shift west/east is the difference between no snow at all and a few inches of snow. We'll keep you updated.”

Campagna says the best chance for snow currently is to the east of New Haven.

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Here is the updated forecast for southern Connecticut via the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. West wind 7 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 47. Wind chill values between 30 and 40 early. West wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 29. West wind 6 to 9 mph.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 41. Wind chill values between 25 and 35. Southwest wind 5 to 9 mph.

Friday Night: A slight chance of rain and snow before 9pm, then a chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. West wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Saturday: A 30 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40.

Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of snow before 9pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28.

Here is the updated forecast for southern Connecticut via the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 30. Southwest wind 5 to 7 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 44. West wind 6 to 8 mph.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 26. Southwest wind 3 to 6 mph.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 39. Southwest wind 3 to 5 mph.

Friday Night: A slight chance of snow after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. Light west wind. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Saturday Night: A chance of snow before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. Chance of precipitation is 30%.