A storm system with the potential to bring 1-2+” of precipitation to Southern New England will start as sleet and may end as snow over a two-day period. Most of the precipitation, however, will be in the form of rain.
Look for sleet to develop after midnight Wednesday night before changing to rain from south to north during the morning. It may change to rain by sunrise at the immediate coast. A period of freezing rain is possible inland, especially in NW and NE CT. Plain rain or drizzle is likely Thursday afternoon – there could be a break in the action from steady precipitation in the afternoon or early evening before a surge of heavier rain arrives overnight.
The temperature late Thursday night will range from the mid 30s in a few spot inland to well into the 40s at the coast. Heavy rain is possible Friday morning before a possible change to snow late in the day or during the evening. At this point, it does not look like more than an inch of snow will accumulate anywhere in CT, RI or SE MA, but it’s something to keep an eye on.
Cold air rushes in Friday night and any slushy accumulation of snow or standing water will freeze overnight. Lows will be in the 20s on Saturday morning. Expect dry weather on Saturday with highs in the 30s.
It’s a close call with a storm system on Sunday. It’s still very early, but it looks more likely to miss than hit Southern New England with significant snow. I would not put too much stock in the forecast just yet, as there are still a few days for the storm track to shift slightly. With enough cold air in place, all it would take is a track a bit closer to SNE for at least a moderate snow event.
The overall weather pattern is fairly active in mid-February, and there are likely to be more snow/rain chances next week.
