WEATHER UPDATE: Winter Storm Watch issued for Mystic, Stonington

Written By Brian McCready (Patch Staff) and Jaimie Cura

I’m sure you’re quite surprised to know that the storm forecast for Thursday is a complicated one. I think “complicated” sums up this winter’s weather perfectly!

According to Connecticut’s leading meteorologists, this could be an almost all-or-nothing snow event late Wednesday into midday Thursday. We will continue to update this.

Communities along the Interstate 95 corridor could receive between 3 and 6 inches of snow including: southern Fairfield, southern Middlesex, southern New Haven, and southern New London counties.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for those areas listed below beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday. For inland area, it’s possible a couple of inches of snow may fall, but that’s still not certain.

While the NWS is predicting up to six inches for the Connecticut Shoreline, no Connecticut meteorologist is making that same prediction as of Wednesday morning.

WFSB Meteorologist Scot Haney is predicting only 2 to 3 inches of snow for the southern half of the state, and just 1 to 2 inches for the northern half of the state including Hartford and Tolland counties.

In reality, this type of accumulation, especially after the winter we’ve had, would be classified as a dud, but the only complication is that the precipitation could be falling right in the middle of Thursday’s morning commute to work and school.

NBC Connecticut Meteorologist Bob Maxon predicts up to four inches of new accumulation, with the highest amounts along the I-95 corridor, less inland.

WTNH News 8’s Meteorologist Gil Simmons is predicting 2-4 inches for Connecticut and less inland. But the good news is, he writes 50s are possible by the middle of next week.

Your Local NWS Forecast

• Wednesday: Periods of rain, possibly mixed with sleet, becoming all rain after 1 p.m. Steady temperature around 36. Wind chill values between 25 and 30. West wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Little or no sleet accumulation expected.

• Wednesday Night: Rain and sleet likely before 11 p.m., then rain, snow, and sleet between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m., then snow after 3 a.m. Low around 24. West wind 5 to 7 mph becoming north after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow and sleet accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

• Thursday: Snow, mainly before 5 p.m. Temperature falling to around 23 by 5 p.m. Wind chill values between 15 and 20. Northwest wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

• Thursday Night: A chance of snow, mainly before 8 p.m. Cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing, with a low around 10. Wind chill values between zero and 5. North wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

• Friday: Sunny, with a high near 24. North wind around 6 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.

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Photo by sheggy, via flickr creative commons