WEATHER UPDATE: Freeze Watch, Warning Issued For Connecticut

From the look of the National Weather Service’s forecast for Connecticut you’d think we’d be getting ready for a major snowstorm as several watches, warnings, and Hazardous Weather Outlooks have been issued for the entire weekend.

We’ll break it down, but what it really means is we’re facing freezing conditions this weekend, especially at night.

For all of southern Connecticut a “Freeze Watch” is in effect from late Sunday night through Monday morning. The “Freeze Watch” that was in effect for Saturday night for the Connecticut coastline has been cancelled by the National Weather Service.

According to the Saturday morning weather update, the National Weather Service writes,”HAZARDS...BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES SUNDAY NIGHT.

* TIMING...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS...SENSITIVE VEGETATION AND OUTDOOR PLANTS MAY BE DAMAGED
OR KILLED DUE TEMPERATURES AT OR BELOW FREEZING.

For northern Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex, and New London counties there is also an additional advisory issued as a “Freeze Warning” is in effect from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sunday as well.

And there’s more for Southern Connecticut as a “Red Flag Warning” has also been issued for Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex, and New London counties.

So if it’s not too cold to go outside for you, be on the alert for the chance of fires popping up, the weather service writes.

“A dry air mass will combine with increasing northwest winds...low humidity and no measurable rain during the past week to create conditions more conducive for fire spread from late this morning until sunset today.”

Winds will increase from 15 mph to up to 25 mph, which could help spread a fire.

Forecast details: enjoy the upper 50s and sunny skies today and around 50 degrees and sunny on Sunday. At night, temps will dip to the mid 30s tonight for southern Connecticut and to around 30 degrees on Sunday night.

Hartford and Tolland county forecast

A “Freeze Warning” is in effect from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. Sunday. The warning replaces the previously issued “Freeze Watch.”

The National Weather Service writes:

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S.

* TIMING...TEMPERATURES WILL FALL BELOW FREEZING AFTER MIDNIGHT
AND REMAIN THERE THROUGH SUNRISE SUNDAY.

* IMPACTS...A FREEZE IS EXPECTED...WHICH WILL LIKELY KILL CROPS
AND OTHER SENSITIVE VEGETATION.

Forecast details: Saturday will feature sun and temps in the low 50s and at night the temps will fall into the upper 20s, and on Sunday more clouds than sun and temps only in the upper 40s and down into the mid 20s at night.

Patch file photo.