By Thane Grauel

WESTPORT — A snowy nor’easter arrived here Saturday afternoon and lived up to its billing as the first storm in some time to leave measurable snowfall.

Two to 4 inches was predicted by the National Weather Service, and it appeared at least 2 inches had fallen around Westport by midnight. Accumulation in the early hours of Sunday appeared light, and flurries were expected on and off today.

Travel was slippery around town Saturday night, even with plow crews scraping some roads. Brief periods of rain mixed with snow did not help motorists gain much traction.

Nor’easters are common along the East Coast. The shore-hugging storms originating in the south got their old-timey name because the counterclockwise winds and whatnot they pelt New England with generally bear out of the northeast.

Winds overnight were 18 mph out of the northeast, the weather service said, with gusts over 30.

That could have water piling up on Long Island Sound, which is something of a catcher’s mitt in such conditions. The National Weather Service has a coastal flood advisory in effect from 4 to 10 a.m. Sunday. Tides could be 18 inches above sea level. High tide in Westport is 7:18 a.m.

“Widespread minor flooding is expected in the most vulnerable locations near the waterfront and shoreline,” the advisory reads. “Expect up to 1½ feet of inundation above ground level in low lying, vulnerable areas. Some roads and low-lying properties, including parking lots, parks, lawns and homes/businesses with basements near the waterfront will experience shallow flooding.”

Temperatures are expected to rise several degrees above freezing Sunday and Monday during the day, but dip into the 20s overnight, perhaps making for icy conditions.

The Westport Weston Family YMCA notified members it will delay its opening Sunday until 8 a.m.

Thane Grauel grew up in Westport and has been a journalist in Fairfield County and beyond for 35 years. Reach him at editor@westportjournal.com. Learn more about us here.