Conn. weather goes from possible frost to near 80 degrees

Connecticut residents can expect a cooler couple of days and colder nights before a warm-up begins this weekend. A cool Canadian high-pressure system will bring mainly clear skies and light winds through Friday.

That combination of conditions means temperatures will drop to near or below freezing inland Friday morning, with frost possible. Protect vulnerable plants for the next few nights.

The typical last date for a temperature dropping to 32 degrees or colder in Hartford is April 25, according to the National Weather Service.

In the past 25 years, the latest spring date temperatures fell to that frosty level was on May 20, 2002.

As the high slides southeast of Connecticut over the weekend, winds shift back to the south and temperatures recover to about average for Saturday and then soar into the 70s for highs Sunday and possibly to 80 degrees or more by Monday for inland areas.

Friday morning could be the last time we flirt with frost until next fall. The warmer pattern that begins this weekend could continue for quite some time. The longer-range forecasts from the Climate Prediction Center that cover the end of April and continue through the first week of May show a strong signal for above-average temperatures overall during the period.

The temperature outlook for May shows the state to be “likely above” average. Average highs for Hartford in early May are in the middle to upper 60s. Those highs normally reach into the middle 70s by the end of May.

Stretching the outlook even further into the future, the summer forecast from NOAA continues to favor an above-average pattern through the months of June, July and August. Cope with the relatively cold temperatures for now, and then get ready for a shift to unseasonably warm weather.