The temperature reached the mid 30s on Friday for the first time since Monday in Southern New England. It should get into the 40s on Saturday and that will help to cut into a bitter cold start to the month. The temperature has averaged 7-9 degrees colder than normal through the first eight days of the month. Low to mid 40s, while not warm for this time of the year, are closer to normal. Look for a cold start in the 20s before the temperature warms steadily into the 40s by early to mid afternoon under partly to mostly sunny skies.
Clouds thicken Saturday night as a storm approaches from the west. Daylight Saving Time begins Saturday night, so set your clocks ahead an hour before going to bed. We’ll lose an hour of sleep Saturday night, but gain a later sunset starting Sunday evening. The day begins with a wintry mix of snow and sleet changing to rain from south to north. The first snow will likely arrive before dawn in southwest CT, and it will reach eastern CT and RI between approximately 6:30-8:00 a.m. EDT. I do not expect pure snow to last for longer than 1-3 hours in any part of CT, RI or SE MA. The change to sleet could happen within an hour near the coast, and it may take 2-3 hours inland. Most of the area will receive less than an inch of snow, with 1-2″ possible in the higher terrain if the snow can hang on a bit longer before sleet.
Sleet will change to rain during the mid to late morning near the coast, and by around noon inland. Rain may be heavy at times near the coast as the temperature climbs through the 30s into the 40s in the afternoon. It will stay colder and raw, but above freezing, inland.
Rain ends 2-4 pm in CT, and 4-6 pm in RI and SE MA. 0.5-1.0″ of precipitation is likely from this storm, with the most near the coast. Any ice-clogged storm drains could lead to poor drainage puddles/flooding on some streets. It doesn’t look like a huge deal, but if you have a drain that’s covered by snow/ice near your house, you may want to clear it. The temperature will likely stay above freezing Sunday night into Monday, so I’m not too concerned about a refreeze.
Most of next workweek looks quiet. Expect highs in the 40s on Monday, and then closer to 40 Tuesday and Wednesday. That’s slightly cool for mid-March, and it does not look like there are any huge, extended warm-ups coming our way in the next two weeks. The weather stays dry through Thursday before a front brings rain showers sometime between Thursday night and Friday night. The temperature may reach the 50s ahead of the front and it could stay mild next Saturday before cooling down to the end the weekend.
