Residents hoping to purchase Christmas trees, do holiday shopping, run errands, attend 12/14 services, or anything away from their homes are being encouraged by Governor Dannel P. Malloy to get all of their work done as early as possible on Saturday.

Gov Malloy urged residents n Friday, December 13, to avoid travel during the first significant snowstorm of the season. The National Weather Service has issued Winter Storm Watches for most of the state from Saturday afternoon until Sunday morning.

Newtown will be under a Winter Storm Warning from the National Weather Service (NYC) for 24 hours this weekend. Announced at 4:37 pm Friday, the warning will be in effect from 6 am Saturday until 6 am Sunday. The warning covers northern Fairfield County, northern New Haven County, and portions of New York and New Jersey.

“Although this does not appear to be a major storm, it does have the potential to produce a significant amount of snowfall and create hazardous driving conditions,” said Gov Malloy. “I am asking residents to use caution as they head out on Saturday and to limit their travel during the height of the storm beginning at 8 pm on Saturday night.”

Total snow accumulations are currently expected to range from 6 to 9 inches in southern Connecticut and up to 10-14 inches in northern Connecticut, according to the governor’s office. Travel is expected to become very hazardous after midnight with heavy snow blowing across roads and northeast winds 15-25 mph gusting to 35 mph at times, Gov Malloy’s statement continued.

At 3:49 Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service was watching what it is calling “a complicated storm system,” which will impact the Central and Eastern United States over the weekend. Two storm fronts will impact these sections of the country, according to NWS, beginning Friday and lasting through the weekend. Precipitation is expected to reach the East Coast by Saturday morning.

“Snow will continue to fall along the Great Lakes and the Northeast while rain is expected in the Middle Atlantic and the Southeast,” according to the notice. “The precipitation quickly clears out of the Middle Atlantic and Southeast by Sunday morning, with snow and the aforementioned transition zone affecting the Northeast as the surface low hugs the Northeast coastline.”

 The NWS Winter Storm Warning that includes Newtown in its coverage area says hazards for this weather event will include heavy snow mixing with sleet and freezing rain late Saturday night.

Accumulations are predicted to be 6-10 inches in Newtown, “along with a tenth to one-quarter of an inch of ice,” the NWS Warning says in part. Winds will be northeast, 10-15 miles per hour, with gusts up to 25 mph. Visibilities of one half mile or less are expected late Saturday afternoon into Saturday night, according to NWS.

“Snow will begin Saturday morning and continue through the day. The snow will likely be heavy at time Saturday evening and then mix with sleet and freezing rain late Saturday night,” according to the warning.

Snow is expected to begin after 10 am Saturday, according to the 7-day NWS forecast posted at 5:30 pm Friday. Snow will continue steadily until 1 am, with a 100% chance of precipitation.

During the overnight hours Newtown and the immediate area will see the snow changing to a snow-freezing rain-sleet combination. Precipitation is expected to continue until 9 am Sunday, before becoming partly sunny.

Updates For Newtown Events

If weekend events are cancelled or postponed due to the weather, organizers are urged to contact Newtown Bee Associate Editor Shannon Hicks in order to share that news.

Send emails to shannon@thebee.com, call 203-270-8601, or submit a message through The Newtown Bee’s Facebook page.

Cancellations and postponements will be posted on The Bee’s website and Facebook, and Tweeted, as soon as possible.