UPDATE: Snow Coming, Shop Early

Update 8:22 a.m. Friday:

The weekend forecast for Darien as of 7:56 a.m. is for snow, mostly after 10 a.m. Saturday with "accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible" that day and another 3 to 7 possible overnight -- then sleet.

For Sunday: A slight chance of rain.

Here's the latest Darien-specific forecast from the National Weather Service:

• Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. West wind 13 to 16 mph.
• Friday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18. Northwest wind around 7 mph becoming north after midnight.
• Saturday: Snow, mainly after 10 a.m. High near 26. Northeast wind 8 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
• Saturday night: Snow before 1 a.m., then sleet. Low around 24. Breezy, with an east wind 11 to 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New snow and sleet accumulation of 3 to 7 inches possible.
• Sunday: A slight chance of rain before 9 a.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 38. Northwest wind 13 to 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
• Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 19.
• Monday: Sunny, with a high near 29.
• Monday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 18.
• Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38.
• Tuesday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25.
• Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 37.
• Wednesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 23.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 38.

Original article, Thursday:

By Gary Jeanfaivre

There's a storm heading our way.

Forecasts are predicting that it will arrive Saturday morning with a dusting of snow. It could change to a messy wintry mix, depending on if this bitter cold we're experiencing holds tight or whether this southern storm pushes it back up north. 

But the storm also has the potential to bring heavy accumulations, according to anAccuWeather forecast by their expert senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

"While warmer air and rain will move up with that storm, odds favor an extended period of snow Saturday afternoon into Saturday night," Sosnowski writes. "Roads are likely to be slippery."

He goes on to note, "The track and strength of the storm as it nears the coast will determine how heavy precipitation becomes Saturday night into early Sunday. If the storm were to develop to its full potential, a heavy accumulation of snow is likely with major travel disruptions."

NBC CT Meteorologist Bob Maxon predicts "light snow with a heavier wintry mix likely by evening and at night" on Saturday. 

The National Weather Service is also forecasting snow and a wintry mix for Saturday into Sunday—with a 80 to 90 percent chance of precipitation.

In a Hazardous Weather Outlook issued for southern Connecticut, the NWS writes:

"Low pressure moving across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys on Saturday will merge off the Mid-Atlantic coast Saturday night ... and pass southeast of Long Island on Sunday. The low could bring significant snowfall during this time ... and possible a glaze of ice late Saturday night into Sunday morning to inland sections."

"The highest snowfall amounts are expected inland northwest of New York City," according to the weather service.

Which would you prefer: a wintry mix or lots of snow?