Hartford, CT – Connecticut may see a mix of cold rain and occasional wet snow during the Thanksgiving travel window, as long-range federal outlooks show a near-normal precipitation pattern, leaving the state with a 50–50 chance of experiencing wintry weather between November 23 and November 29.
According to the Climate Prediction Center’s 8–14 Day Outlook issued Saturday, Connecticut sits in a transition zone between colder inland New England air and milder temperatures along the Long Island Sound. This classic November setup makes storm-track timing crucial, with minor shifts determining whether holiday travelers face rain, mixed precipitation, or brief wet snow.
Inland and higher-elevation areas—including Litchfield County, the Hartford Hills, and towns such as Torrington, Winchester, Simsbury, and Stafford—hold the strongest potential for early-season snow or slushy mix. Overnight cooling in these regions frequently allows precipitation to change to wet snow even when valley temperatures remain above freezing.
The Hartford metro—including West Hartford, East Hartford, New Britain, and Manchester—sits in the central 50–50 zone. Daytime temperatures likely lean rain, but colder nighttime values may allow a brief mix, especially late in the period if deeper cold air arrives from the north.
Coastal and southern Connecticut—including New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, Norwalk, and surrounding shoreline communities—leans solidly toward cold rain. Ocean influence from Long Island Sound typically keeps temperatures several degrees warmer than inland locations, though brief wet flakes could mix in north of the Merritt Parkway if cold air sneaks in.
Thanksgiving week brings some of the heaviest travel volume of the year along I-84, I-91, and I-95. Even cold rain can slow traffic, and any wet snow in higher elevations may create brief travel hazards, particularly early in the morning.
Forecasters expect sharper details early next week as short-range models begin resolving individual storm systems and temperature profiles.
