First Winter Storm of the Season Arrives This Weekend

A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for Northern Fairfield and New Haven counties from Saturday afternoon through late Saturday night. A major storm system will bring rain, snow, and wind to the region beginning Saturday morning, and up to three-to-six inches of snow may fall inland by the time the storm departs.

The unusual early-season storm will also deliver strong, gusty winds late tomorrow and Saturday night. The wind and heavy wet snow will combine with the leaves still on the trees to possibly cause power outages throughout the state. High temperatures will fall from 40 degrees early tomorrow into the 30s by the afternoon. The normal high temperature for this time of the year is 59 degrees!

The coldest air of the season arrived this morning with daybreak temperatures falling into the lower 30s across southwestern Connecticut. The mercury dropped to 34 degrees at Sikorsky Memorial Airport, well below the normal low of 43 degrees. However, it was slightly above the record low of 30 degrees set in 1976. Prior to today, the coldest temperature this month was 44 degrees on October 6, 7, and 24.

Viewer Ralph Fato sent this photo of a beautiful sunrise this morning along the southwestern Connecticut shoreline.

A trace of snow is the normal monthly average for our region based on 40 years of records. According to my weather record book, the only measured snow in October at Sikorsky Memorial Airport happened on Sunday morning, October 4, 1987, when a half-inch was recorded. I was working at the Western Connecticut State University weathercenter in Danbury at the time. It was an unusual sight for early October, to be sure.

Nor'easters are not uncommon in October, but measured snow is certainly a rarity. You may recall the storm of October 19, 1996, which brought damaging winds and heavy rain. More than four inches (4.12") of rain fell that day, and many people experienced flooding. The wettest day on record this month happened on October 15, 1955, when 4.76" of rain fell.

The storm will be gone by Sunday, but cooler-than-normal temperatures will be with us through the start of next week. Sunday will become mostly sunny, breezy, and chilly with a high in the upper 40s. Halloween will be mostly sunny and dry with a high in the mid-to-upper 40s. That will be a real "treat" from Mother Nature, considering she's giving us quite a "trick" tomorrow.

Paul