Chance Of Wintry Mix This Weekend

Winter is still officially about a week and a half away, but it looks there is the possibility of some snow or a "wintry mix" this weekend, according to the National Weather Service. Or it could be all rain.

High pressure will built through Thursday, keeping temperatures in Clinton and surrounding towns sunny and in the 40's during the day, and in the mid-20's at night. 

Then, as that high pressure system slowly retreats, some low pressure systems will affect the region late this weekend and into the middle of next week, bringing more unsettled weather, the NWS says. In Clinton and surrounding towns, there is a slight chance of snow or a wintry mix late Saturday night and into Sunday morning, if the forecast does not change again before then. Right now, most of it sounds like rain.

The start of winter is still a little more than a week away. This year, we will experience the earliest start to winter since 1896, according to the Farmer's Almanac. The winter solstice will arrive at 6:12 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 21 and the good news is that the days will start getting a little bit longer after that.

For those of you who really, really want a white Christmas, it's still too early to tell what exactly will be happening around here, but based on historical data analyzed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Climatic Data Center, the Connecticut shoreline looks like it has a 26 to 40 percent chance of having a white Christmas, defined as "a snow depth of at least 1 inch ... observed on December 25th."

If that isn't good enough, here is Accuweather's "Best Bets For A White Christmas." They say Mount Washington, New Hampshire is guaranteed to have a white Christmas, along with Fairbanks, AK; Marquette, MI; Salt Lake City, UT; Lake Placid, NY; Caribou, ME; Quebec City, Quebec; Mackinac Island, MI; and Rovaniemi, Finland.  

Here is the NWS forecast for Clinton and surrounding towns for the next seven days, as of Friday morning:

• Today:  Sunny, with a high near 48. West wind 7 to 10 mph.
• Tonight:   Mostly clear, with a low around 30. North wind around 7 mph.
• Saturday:   Increasing clouds, with a high near 42. North wind 6 to 8 mph.
• Saturday Night:   A chance of rain and snow between midnight and 3am, then a chance of rain after 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32. East wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Sunday:  Rain, mainly after noon. High near 46. East wind 8 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
• Sunday Night:  Rain. Low around 39. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
• Monday:  Rain likely, mainly before noon. Cloudy, with a high near 48. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
• Monday Night:  A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Tuesday:  A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
• Tuesday Night:  A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a low around 36. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
• Wednesday:  A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
• Wednesday Night:  A chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Thursday:  Partly sunny, with a high near 42.