By John Schwing

WESTPORT — Three weeks.

Nearly three lousy weeks from the official start of spring, Old Man Winter has roused from hibernation and is grabbing the snow and ice levers to deliver a second wintry blast in three days across the region, starting Monday night through Tuesday.

The National Weather Service, in a “Winter Storm Warning” issued from 6 p.m. Monday through 6 p.m. Tuesday, predicts total snowfall could accumulate from 5 to 8 inches in Westport and the rest of southwestern Connecticut.

Snow may be “heavy” over the course of the storm, the NWS warns, a sharp contrast from the dusting on Saturday, the region’s first visible sign of winter although it began more than two months earlier.

Because the Monday-Tuesday storm is expected to buffet the region over nearly 12 hours, the weather service says, “Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute.”

Before the storm clears out Tuesday night, snow also may mix with sleet and rain, according to the forecast.

The daytime temperature Monday will crest at about 40 degrees, falling to about 32 degrees overnight, and rising only to the mid-30s Tuesday.

Wind gusts may be clocked as high as 30 mph overnight, posing a threat of power outages if utility lines are brought down.

Wednesday is expected to be partly cloudy, with a daytime high temperature in the mid-40s, but there is nearly a 50 percent chance of rain overnight and Thursday morning, the NWS says.

On Friday, Old Man Winter is back in business again, with a mix of snow and rain likely.

The outlook for Saturday and Sunday, according to the forecast, is brighter, with skies mostly clear and temperatures in the low-40s.

John Schwing, the Westport Journal consulting editor, has held senior editorial and writing posts at southwestern Connecticut media outlets for four decades. Learn more about us here.