WEATHER UPDATE: Snow and Ice to Hit Mansfield, Storrs This Weekend

As we bask in the glow of breaking a record dating back to 1966 for record cold on today’s date for Connecticut, our attention turns to a snow, sleet, freezing rain, and depending on where you live, plain rain storm that will impact us mid-to-late afternoon on Saturday and ending by midday on Sunday.

If you’re curious about the record, a 1 degree temperature was recorded at Bridgeport at 6 a.m. Friday, which beat the previous record low of 2 degrees set in 1966.

Now back to the snow and mix threat.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory that goes into effect at 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 21 and continues until 12 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 22.

WFSB 3 Meteorologist Scott Haney predicts 2 to 6 inches of snow to accumulate statewide with the highest totals coming north and west of Hartford.

Another major snowstorm is possible for midweek next week, Haney cautions.

NBC Connecticut meteorologists are predicting 2 to 4 inches of snow, sleet, and freezing rain to accumulate from this latest storm, and they too caution a major storm is possible for midweek.

WTNH News 8’s Meteorologist Gil Simmons is predicting light snow to begin between 4 and 7 p.m. on Saturday and it will change to ice overnight and possibly some plain rain for parts of the Connecticut shoreline.

NBC Connecticut Meteorologist Darren Sweeney wrote on Facebook:

“Good news to the forecast I posted earlier in the week. The midday data is starting to come in line for the weekend.

“Earlier data suggested a slug of moisture in the form of rain, which seemed unlikely given our very cold pattern well entrenched, but the data was consistent. Finally, the data looks more like it should, with LESS RAIN and MORE SNOW.

“Yes, more snow is good news. No one needs the rain to soak into the snowpack on rooftops, garages, etc.

“It looks to start late afternoon and wind down on Sunday morning. Not overly heavy and not a blockbuster snow. Several inches are possible. Start time: late afternoon Saturday, wrapping up Midday Sunday. It does appear some mixing will take place, but as for liquid reaching the ground, questionable.

“This is not good news for towns struggling to keep snowbanks from blocking intersections, etc. It is good news for those of us who have snow building up on low pitched roofs.”

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And this is what the National Weather Service is predicting specifically for Mansfield and Storrs:

• Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around -1. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming calm after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

• Saturday: Snow likely, mainly after 5pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 31. Wind chill values between zero and 10. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

• Saturday Night: Snow before 1am, then snow and freezing rain between 1am and 2am, then rain and snow after 2am. Low around 31. Wind chill values between 20 and 25. South wind 3 to 8 mph. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Little or no ice accumulation expected. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

• Sunday: Rain and snow before 11am, then a chance of rain. High near 40. Wind chill values between 30 and 35. West wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

• Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18. Northwest wind 7 to 13 mph.

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