Connecticut weather: Wintry Wednesday brings afternoon of snow

Winter isn’t done yet. Snow is coating Connecticut Wednesday afternoon, but it won’t add up to much, meteorologists said. Some schools dismissed early.

When will it snow?

All afternoon. It may briefly switch to rain at the shore before turning back to snow, said Gary Lessor of Western Connecticut State University.

What time?

For those in the southwestern part of the state, the snow was expected to start early in the morning: It was 15 miles from Greenwich at 6 a.m. Wednesday, said Lessor, chief meteorologist of Western’s Connecticut Weather Center.

Snow ended up starting later, after the morning rush hour was over. At 9:30 a.m., it was only raining in Greenwich; it was snowing by 10:30 a.m. To the north, light snow was falling in Tolland by 11 a.m.

When will it stop?

“It all winds down Wednesday evening” for much of the state -— late afternoon in the southwest, Lessor said.

How much snow will fall?

It depends on where you are. There will be more snow on grass than on the pavement, and more in hilly areas.

“So we’re saying up to about 3 inches, statewide,” Lessor said. “Maybe the higher elevations, a bit higher than that.”

What kind of snow is this?

Wet. But if you don’t feel like shoveling, it will melt quickly. Thursday is expected to be partly sunny, with the temperature reaching 45-50 degrees.

“As long as you’re patient, it’ll go away,” Lessor said.

What does the weekend weather look like?

Friday also will be 45-50 and partly sunny. The lows will dip into the 20s, but the temperature will rise to around 50 Saturday — the day of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Hartford — when it will rain.

“Not the best day for a parade,” Lessor said.

Sunday will bring mixed sun and clouds and windy weather, with temperatures ranging from 35-40, he said.

Christine Dempsey may be reached at cdempsey@courant.com.