Warm weather is here to stay on this Christmas Day, but First Alert forecasters have their eyes on the season's first snow next Tuesday.
A mix of sun and clouds is expected today, but the clouds be of the high variety. That means there will be breaks of sun and it will still be fairly bright. Temperatures will be in the lower 60s!
Tomorrow starts with some sun, though clouds increase and showers will arrive in the evening. Temperatures will be noticeably lower, only near 50 degrees.
Sunday is the wettest weekend day with two rounds of showers: one early in the day, and another late in the evening. In between, it will still be cloudy. Temperatures will once again return to the lower 60s.
Monday is a day of transition.
The typical high clouds before a storm will spread over the region and result in considerable cloudiness. More importantly, high pressure over Quebec provide a flow of cold, very dry air on a north and northeast wind.
That sets the stage for the season's first winter storm.
Local
Snow will come down hard for a time Tuesday morning statewide. A few inches are expected. Warm air will nose in aloft and change the snow to sleet and freezing rain from New Haven to Enfield.
Given that the high pressure system will be in prime position to lock the cold in at the surface, many hill towns will likely not see any plain rain from this system. Shoreline areas should go over to plain rain at some point.
The one factor that will help is the unfrozen ground. It's warm and moist. That may decrease the chance for prolonged freezing rain or even impact how the snow accumulates.
High temperatures will range from freezing in the hills to about 40 degrees along the water of Long Island Sound.
Wednesday brings drier weather, with perhaps a mix of clouds and sunshine. There's some question as to how much low level moisture will be left, which cloud result in more clouds and even drizzle.
Another system brings rain showers on Thursday (New Year's Eve) with temperatures in the 40s.
So, while there are signs of winter in the forecast and some snowmaking weather to be found, the temperatures generally remain above average heading into the final day of the year.
