Winter Storm Warning Issued for Middlesex County

By Eileen McNamara and Cassandra Day

Spring may be in the air, but don't put those shovels, boots and scrapers away just yet. There's a late winter storm heading our way and the National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for our region.

The storm is expected to hit late today and drop up to 3 to 6 inches of snow, sleet and freezing rain between tonight and tomorrow morning.

Middletown Public Schools already have recalled the Friday of April vacation due to the last storm canceling classes March 8. Superintendent of Schools Patricia Charles said today that any additional snow days would be taken beginning Thursday April 19, moving backward on the week of April 15.

"It's a funny thing when you talk about snow days being 'worked in' to the calendar," Charles said. "If you don't use them, you don't get them back."

The last day of school is June 21, and that's a calendar that was approved by the board of education in August 2012.

The snow is expected to begin late this afternoon. It will then mix with sleet overnight, before changing over to all rain early tomorrow morning.

Stronger winds are also predicted, with gusts up to 35 miles per hour. The wintry mix and winds will at times reduce visibility to less than a quarter of a mile.

"The accumulation of a light mix of rain on top of a light mix of snow will make travel difficult, especially during the Tuesday morning commute," the meteorologists stated in their advisory.