The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for parts of Connecticut starting Friday afternoon and continuing through Saturday morning with a forecast for accumulating “plowable” snow.
The advisory is for New Haven, Middlesex and New London counties in Connecticut, though it also is forecast to snow in Greater Hartford and other areas, according to the weather service.
Christmas Day, Thursday, is expected to remain clear, but grow increasingly colder.
Additionally, the weather service issued a “Winter Storm Watch” for NYC, parts of New Jersey and New York state, and Fairfield County in Connecticut from 4 p.m. Friday to 1 p.m. Saturday. In the watch area, 4-8 inches of snow are possible. with a “reasonable worst case scenario of 8-10 inches,” according to the weather service. “Peak snowfall rates” could be an estimated 1 inch per hour possible “with a low chance of up to 2 [inches per hour] in heavier snow bands,” according to the weather service. The weather could bring hazardous travel from snow covered roads.
Gov. Ned Lamont activated the state’s Severe Cold Weather Protocol beginning at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 25, and remaining in effect until 10 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, due to a “blast of arctic conditions that will impact the state during this period, including wind chills during the overnight hours that are expected to drop into the single digits and near zero in some areas.”
The state’s protocol is intended to ensure the “most vulnerable populations receive protection from the severe cold, which could be life threatening if exposed to the elements for extended periods of time,” and when in place is “set up for state agencies and municipalities to coordinate with United Way 2-1-1 and Connecticut’s network of shelters to make sure that anyone in need can receive shelter from the outdoors, including transportation to shelters,” according to Lamont’s office.
“It’s looking like Christmas morning will start off with relatively normal temperatures for this time of year, however once the sun sets in the evening a cold blast will come into Connecticut and remain for the next several days,” Lamont said, in an emailed statement. “With occasional gusts reaching up to 20 miles per hour, the winds will make it feel like it’s in the single digits and close to zero during the overnight hours. Activating this protocol helps ensure that shelters and warming centers are available across the state to anyone in need. If you or anyone you know is in need of a place to stay warm, please visit 211ct.org or call 2-1-1 to get connected to these resources.”
Parts of Connecticut got dustings of snow around the state earlier this week.
The new hazardous weather outlook is for southern Connecticut and southeast New York,” according to the weather service. “A winter storm system will affect the region Friday afternoon through Saturday morning with an accumulating, plowable snow.”
According to the weather service, a “hazardous weather outlook provides a summary of potential widespread hazardous weather events that may reach NWS warning criteria.”
For Greater Hartford, the service forecasts, for late Friday, snow and a ow around 19, with the chance of precipitation at 80%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible. Snow also is forecast for Saturday. Accuweather also forecasts snow for Greater Hartford.
In Greater New Haven, the service forecasts, for Friday, is snow, with low around 20 and wind chill values between 15 and 20, a chance of precipitation at 90%, with new snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible. Snow also is forecast for Saturday.