Rain on SoNo Arts Celebration? Not Till It Was Over [Update]

Update 10:07 p.m.:

The thundershower did come—at 9:07 p.m., just after the last of the festival booths were removed and minutes after the streets were cleared and reopened to traffic.

Update 3:49 p.m.:

Precipitation? Nope! Sun and some clouds. A few lingering puddles. Not even that hot.

Update 10:56 a.m.:

Weather reports are contradictory this morning over whether rain will fall on the last day of the SoNo Arts Celebration, scheduled to run today between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The National Weather Service has updated its dire prediction of yesterday and now says in its specific forecast for Norwalk (10:08 a.m. update) that rain is likely, but "mainly after 5 p.m."

It gives the precipitation a 60 percent chance of falling today. Only a tenth to a quarter of an inch is likely to fall, unless we get hit by a thunderstorm, the service says.

The weather service has a "Hazardous Weather Outlook" in effect, a statement which warns that in Southern Connecticut, Northern New Jersey and Southeast New York state some rain will fall "with locally heavy showers with isolated thunderstorms" that could produce as much as an inch of rain in an hour.

If you see breaks of sunshine today, beware—that could mean a few severe thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening, the weather service says.

Weatherbug, a forecasting service that Patch.com uses, says today in Norwalk should be cloudy, and adds, "A chance of showers with isolated thunderstorms this morning ... then showers and thunderstorms likely this afternoon. Some thunderstorms may produce heavy rainfall."

It predicts light winds from the south of 5 to 10 mph and a high temperature in the low 80s. Chance of rain: 70 percent.

The Weather Channel predicts "scattered showers and thunderstorms"  around 1 p.m. for Norwalk. Chance of rain: 55 percent.

All three forecasting services predict temperatures in the low 80s and light winds from the south. Both the Weather Channel and Weather Bug winds from the south of 5 to 10 mph. and the National Weather Service says they'll be 9 mph.

Update 12:10 a.m.:

The weather report for Sunday morning looks threatening for the SoNo Arts Festival, which was dampened Saturday evening by rain.

The National Weather Service has issued a "Hazardous Weather Outlook" for southern Connecticut, northeast New Jersey and New York state points in between for tonight through Sunday. The statement, released at 3:45 p.m. and still in effect as of late Saturday night, warns of possible thunderstorms with rain of as much as an inch within an hour and potentially damaging wind gusts.

The good news amid all this is that the thunderstorms are more likely in areas north and west of New York City, not northeast.

The weather service's specific forecast for Norwalk says there's a 70 percent chance of precipitation overnight (we've already had a bit), with a quarter to half an inch of rain possible.

For Sunday, the Norwalk forecast says there's again a 70 percent chance of rain, and possibly a thunderstorm, before 1 p.m., with another quarter-inch to half an inch possible.

Wet weather early Saturday evening dampened crowds on Washington Street and at the main stage in the food court (see attached pictures).

Bands , however.

Here's the Sunday entertainment schedule (the arts fest opens at 11 a.m.):

Main Stage (Food Court)

• 10:30 a.m. — Stephen Bennett (replaces The Other People) — [YouTube video added]
• 12 p.m. — Shokazoba 
• 2:30 p.m. — The McLovins Set #1 — (YouTube Channel)
• 4 p.m. — The McLovins Set #2

Washington Street Stage

• 12 p.m. — Planeside
• 2 p.m. — Heart Attack
• 3:30 p.m. — Mr. Rusty

Giant Puppet Parade

• 1 p.m. — Children who wish to march in the parade should be at the Children's ARt Playground to choose a puppet.
• 1:30 p.m. — Starts marching down Washington Street

Children's Art Playground Stage

• 11-11:50 a.m. — Crystal Theatre: "Mother Goose Retires"
• 12-12:50 p.m. — Karen Hall, storyteller: "A Princess in a Bag"
• 1-2 p.m. — no shows, go watch the puppet parade
• 2-2:50 p.m. — Shakespeare on the Sound: an innovative performance based on the plot of "Much Ado About Nothing"
• 3-3:50 p.m. — Talent Education Suzuki School (TESS) Guitar Ensemble