An extreme cold watch is in effect for Fairfield, Litchfield and New Haven counties starting Saturday evening at 6 p.m. through 1 p.m Sunday. This is for dangerously cold wind chills that can fall as low as -20 to -30 degrees. At that rate, frostbite can happen after 15-30 minutes.

Winter roars back in a big way this upcoming weekend. First with the snow, then the cold wind. Snow showers are possible Friday evening into Saturday morning with a fast-moving Alberta clipper. Accumulations will range from 1-2 inches. This snow will be light and fluffy and stack up higher due to the cold temperatures. Watch for slippery conditions early Saturday morning. Temperatures will be in the lower 20s when the snow falls. The Arctic front sweeps through after that and drops the temperatures into the teens, then single digits by Saturday evening. Winds can gust up to 45 mph.

Sunday looks beautiful, but don't go out unless you have to. It's really important to dress properly and cover all exposed skin when going outdoors. Keep the pets indoors as much as possible.

Morning temperatures will start out near zero. North of Interstate 84, it will be 0 to -5 degrees. The winds will stay gusty and temperatures will only rise to about 17 degrees in the afternoon. The wind chills, even during the da,y will hover from zero to slightly above. Temperatures at night will fall to near zero again.

It will be a cold start to Monday, but then temperatures will gradually recover next week. Expect high temperatures by Wednesday to rise above freezing again.