Name: Nor’easter could bring 12-plus inches of snow to much of Connecticut; winter storm warning across most counties
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Nor’easter could bring 12-plus inches of snow to much of Connecticut; winter storm warning across most counties

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AdvertisementBy Hartford CourantFeb 01, 2021 at 7:26 pmThe first major nor’easter of 2021 is rapidly bearing down on the East Coast, with high snowfall totals, severe wind gusts and power outages likely across much of Connecticut.The National Weather Service in New York issued a winter storm warning for Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex and New London counties starting at midnight Sunday and continuing through 6 a.m. Tuesday, with heavy snow expected to accumulate anywhere from 7-16 inches and winds gusting as high as 50 mph.AdvertisementOn Sunday afternoon, Hartford, Tolland and Windham counties were upgraded from a watch to a winter storm warning from Monday at 7 a.m. to early Tuesday, with total snow accumulations of 7-15 inches expected and wind gusts up to 45 mph.Travel is expected to be very difficult to impossible, with hazardous conditions likely impacting morning and evening commutes. Gusting winds could bring down tree branches. Blizzard-like conditions are possible, especially near the coast.AdvertisementVaccine providers may have to cancel COVID-19 vaccination appointments scheduled for Monday and possibly Tuesday because of the snow, according to the Department of Public Health.Those with appointments scheduled for the beginning of this week are encouraged to check with their provider on the status of their appointment. More information is available on the United Way/2-1-1 website or by calling 877-918-2224.The snow is expected to start on Monday between 5 and 7 a.m., said Frank Nocera, senior forecaster at the National Weather Service in Norton, Massachusetts, and will become heavy by 8 to 9 a.m., with snowfall expected to accumulate at roughly an inch every hour.“It is going to be a wet snow, so we always recommend when power outages are a threat, especially the day and age we live in with our electronics, people should probably go to bed charging their electronic devices tonight,” Nocera said Sunday.Snow may turn to rain Monday night then back to snow on Tuesday, said Gary Lessor, chief meteorologist at the weather center at Western Connecticut State University.Lessor said that some portions of western Connecticut could see up to 24 inches of snow. “The only question now is are we going to start to see some of the mixing with sleet getting into central Connecticut,” he said. “That’s why central Connecticut I’m not thinking will be as high as western Connecticut.”Gov. Ned Lamont announced he is ordering all executive branch state office buildings closed to the public Monday.“This appears to be a significant storm that is about to impact our state, and snowfall is expected to reach rates at times of up to one to two inches per hour, causing whiteout conditions that will make it unsafe to be out on the roads,” he said in a statement. “Therefore, we are directing that all Level 2 state employees who have been physically reporting to their office buildings throughout the ongoing pandemic to stay home out of an abundance of caution, and all those who have been working remotely should continue to do so. I strongly encourage everyone in Connecticut to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary, particularly during the height of the storm when these fast snowfall rates will make it dangerous to be on the roads.”AdvertisementLamont also signed an on certain tractor trailers because of the weather. As of 5 a.m. Monday, the order bans “all empty and tandem tractor trailers from traveling on Interstates 84, 91, and 95″ and “all tractor trailers from traveling on Interstate 84.″Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said on Twitter Sunday that a parking ban would be implemented from noon Monday through 6 p.m. Tuesday.Looks like it’s going to be a long &amp; heavy storm. A few things to know now so you can plan ahead:- Parking ban from noon Monday to 6pm Tuesday - Plan to stay off the roads tomorrow afternoon through Tuesday afternoon- DO NOT drive tomorrow evening/night. It will not be safe. — Luke Bronin (@MayorBronin)Department of Transportation spokesman Kevin Nursick said the state’s fleet of plows and snow removal trucks — along with spare equipment, parts, salt, liquid magnesium chloride and other resources — is prepared and ready to go at roughly 50 satellite facilities around the state.“We’re already prepared,” Nursick said. “We pride ourselves on being in a constant state of readiness for winter weather, so regardless of the time of day or the day of the week, we’re always in a state of readiness. There’s no last minute scrambling or anything of that nature that has to take place.”Eversource Energy said Sunday that line and tree crews are positioned around the state to respond to damage or outages caused by the storm. Out-of-state crews are also being brought in to help with restoring power. Customer care representatives will be monitoring outage calls.Craig Hallstrom, president of regional electric operations at Eversource, said the utility company has been “watching the storm for days and will adjust our plan accordingly.”Advertisement“The forecasts call for large amounts of snow and high winds, which may make travel conditions challenging for the crews,” he said. “We’re checking our equipment and supplies and staging the crews at our work centers across the state to ensure we’re ready to repair any damage we may see from this storm. We also remind customers that restorations may take longer as we ensure the safety of our employees and customers while continuing to work under the challenging conditions related to the pandemic.”As it happensGet the latest updates on Coronavirus and other breaking news events happening across Connecticut &gt; Connecticut residents should steer clear of downed wires and report them to 911. Report power outages online at or by calling 800-286-2000. There’s also a text messaging feature that allows customers to send and receive updates via text.Temperatures on Monday will be in the 20s inland and 30-35 along the coast around Groton, Lessor said. As warming temperatures arrive in Connecticut along with the storm, wet, heavy snow that sticks at first won’t likely exceed normal snow-rain ratios of about 10:1.Travel may become difficult beginning around 8 a.m. Because of the cold temperatures, snow is expected to stick immediately. “Roads will become snow-covered very quickly,” Nocera said. “[Monday] is going to be a good day for telework and distant learning.”Driving is not recommended by noon Monday. “People should do what they’ve got to do by noon, if they have to go out at all, and then just hunker down until Tuesday,” Lessor said.There will be lingering snow Tuesday but nowhere near Monday’s intensity. “It will be more of a nuisance,” Lessor said. “You clean the driveway, and you go out a couple hours later, and there’s another half-inch or inch.”AdvertisementMany towns around the state issued parking bans on Sunday, and widespread school closures were expected. In Bridgeport, Mayor Joe Ganim issued a snow emergency starting at 4 p.m. on Sunday.Michael Hamad can be reached at . Advertisement

AdvertisementBy Hartford CourantFeb 01, 2021 at 7:26 pmThe first major nor’easter of 2021 is rapidly bearing down on the East Coast, with high snowfall totals, severe wind gusts and power outages likely across much of Connecticut.The National Weather Service in New York issued a winter storm warning for Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex and New London counties starting at midnight Sunday and continuing through 6 a.m. Tuesday, with heavy snow expected to accumulate anywhere from 7-16 inches and winds gusting as high as 50 mph.AdvertisementOn Sunday afternoon, Hartford, Tolland and Windham...

Nor’easter could bring 12-plus inches of snow to much of Connecticut; winter storm warning across most counties

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