Sunday's snow is expected to give way to sunny skies and somewhat warmer weather today.

Southeastern Connecticut was expected to receive between 4 and 8 inches of snow by the wee hours of this morning, with most areas receiving between 6 and 8 inches, according to Gary Lessor, meteorologist with The Weather Center at Western Connecticut State University.

As of 8 p.m., 4 inches of snow had accumulated in Norwich and Groton, he said. New London, Norwich and Old Lyme had instituted parking bans.

"And it will all be over before morning," he said of Sunday's snow, saying it was expected to taper off between 1 and 3 a.m. today.

Lessor said to expect sunshine to break through morning clouds around mid-day today and for temperatures to rise into the 30s.

The region isn't done with precipitation for the week, he said. A storm of snow, sleet and freezing rain is forecast for Tuesday night, according to the meteorologist. He said the precipitation would change over to rain Wednesday.

But the frigid cold that held the area in its grip through February is done, said Lessor.

"The worst of the arctic cold is over," he said.

He said residents can finally expect less frigid conditions - no more nights of temperatures dipping to 5-10 degrees below zero. The new lows will be from the single digits into the 20s, said Lessor.

Wednesday, temperatures are forecast to rise as high as the 40s, he said.

Still, even these temperatures are colder than what the area typically experiences, said Lessor. He said that cold pattern will continue through March.

Asked if spring was coming, Lessor said, "Sometime."

t.townsend@theday.com

Twitter: @ConnecticuTess