Mother Nature's going to be playing with her winter toys today, with the National Weather Service forecasting rain and snow, mainly after 4 p.m., along with a High Wind Warning.
So don't dawdle at those after-Christmas sales this afternoon. The good news is that, while you should have your snow shovel and salt ready (just in case!), it looks like any snow will be washed away by the rain. Quite a bit of rain, as a matter of fact.
Wind and gusts
For the New York metropolitan area, Long Island and coastal Connecticut, including New Canaan, the weather service's "High Wind Warning" is in effect from 4 p.m. this afternoon through 6 a.m. Thursday.
Forecasters say there could be winds of 25 to 40 mph and gusts of up to 60 mph. in the area, although in New Canaan, winds are predicted to be much lower, at 8 to 16 mph and gusts as high as 33 mph. during the day, but as far up as 49 mph overnight.
"Winds of this magnitude will likely down trees and tree limbs, power lines and holiday decorations and cause minor property damage," according to the wind-warning forecast. "Power outages are possible. Driving high profile vehicles will be difficult, especially on elevated roadways and bridges.
New Canaan weather forecast
Here's what the National Weather Service predicts in its specific forecast for New Canaan:
The high temperature Wednesday should be a chilly 38, with breezy winds of 8 to 16 mph and winds gusting to as high as 33. The chance of precipitation is 100 percent, but the snow combination is less than half an inch.
Wednesday night the rain could be heavy (with as much as 1 to 2 inches falling) and the temperature should dip to 34 degrees—not far from freezing (keep that in mind if it turns out to be colder than the forecast). We might get as much as 1 to 2 inches of rain
Do you really want to be out in that weather tonight?
Here's the weather service for the rest of the week and the weekend:
- Thursday: Rain, mainly before noon. High near 46. East wind 13 to 17 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
- Thursday night: A slight chance of rain before midnight. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 27. Northwest wind 11 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
- Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. Northwest wind 8 to 11 mph.
- Friday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 21.
- Saturday: A slight chance of snow before noon, then a chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 35. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
- Saturday night: Saturday Night A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 25. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
- Sunday:A chance of snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 32. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
- Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 20.
- Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 33.
- NEW YEAR'S EVE: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 20.
- NEW YEAR'S DAY: Mostly sunny, with a high near 30.
Coastal flooding
Visiting friends near the shore? Beware:
Along the shore, the weather service has upped its "Coastal Flood Watch," issued earlier, to a more serious "Coastal Flood Warning" from 8 p.m. to midnight, when the tide is highest. The warning is for western Long Island Sound.
Tides should be 3 to 5 feet above normal and affect "vulnerable shore roads and/or basements."
