ONE FOOT KICKS OFF SNOWSTORM SEASON
Schools closed; Lamont thanks residents for staying off roads
A massive nor’easter dropped close to a foot of snow in much of the state, closing schools and making roads slippery.
After falling heavily overnight, making travel treacherous, the snow lightened up considerably after dawn Thursday. Light snow lingered through the afternoon.
Many heeded officials’ pleas to stay home, and no loss of life was reported on the state’s highways.
Snow totals in a few towns and cities surpassed 12 inches Thursday morning. Amongthem are Burlington (14 inches), Southington (13.2) and Torrington (14). New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart reported at least a foot of snow in her city, and Manchester reported 11.5 inches about 7:50 a.m.
The transition from heavy to light snow was no doubt a welcome one for plow truck drivers. Most of I-91, I-95 and I-84 had some clear lanes at 10:50 a.m., although some spots were still snow-covered.
Considering the amount of snow that fell, Gov. Ned Lamont said the state fared well. He said during a morning press conference that he didn’t know of any major incidents.
“Thanks to each and every one
of you for limiting the driving,” he said. “I think that kept the number of accidents to a minimum.”
The overnight ban on tractor trailers was highly successful because it kept the highways clear by preventing trucks from sliding, crashing, and blocking roads, he said. The truck ban was lifted at 9 a.m.
Less than a dozen tractor trailers, however, took the opportunity to pull over and spend the night at Sherwood Island and Hammonasset Beach State Parks, Lamont said Thursday afternoon. He also hadn’t heard of any storm-related issues at hospitals.
The state did its part by closing state offices with nonessential workers; the governor told them to telecommute, if possible.
“We’re pretty good at old-fashioned New England snowstorms,’’ Lamont said. “I think we’re going to have this in hand.’’
Not everyone had things under control. Early in the morning, spin-outs were reported on snow-covered roads.
“Please avoid driving this morning if you can,” Lamont tweeted about 6 a.m. “If you must drive, keep a safe distance from any plows you may approach.”
Call volume to AAA was highest between 3-4 p.m., with over 100 calls an hour in the Greater Hartford area. Most involved dead car batteries and stuck vehicles.
“The big issue now is the cold, which means AAA will be extremely busy with dead batteries [Friday] tomorrow morning,” said spokesperson Amy Parmenter.
The storm moved into the state early Wednesday evening and at times fell at a rate of 1-2 inches an hour. A winter storm warning was in effect until 1 p.m.
By noon Thursday, troopers had responded to 54 crashes, five with injuries. They helped 213 motorists since the storm began. In all, state police had 863 calls for service.
Oneofafewtrouble spots was Route 44 in Salisbury in the northwest corner of the state, which was closed Thursday morning because a tree fell on wires, according to an alert from the state Department of Transportation. The road has since been reopened.
There weren’t many reports of fallen wires, however, and there was only a smattering of power outages Thursday morning. Eversource reported 356 outages at 8 a.m., with most, 143, in Beacon Falls. And in United Illuminating’s shoreline communities, only 107 lacked power, with most in Easton, which had 92 in the dark.
But by 1:30 p.m., the number of outages in Eversource’s vast territory crept up to 437, with 102 customers out in Montville. United Illuminating’s outages increased to 753, with most outages —488 — in Trumbull.
Most Connecticut outages had been resolved by 5:30 p.m.
At Bradley International Airport, four of 10 departing flights were listed as cancelled at 8:20 a.m., according to its website. Airport staff advised that passengers check their flight status with their airlines.
Metro-North pared back its service into and out of Connecticut, and some trains were delayed because of the snow.
Schools on Wednesday announced closures or shifts to virtual learning for the day, although some parents aired their disagreement with school officials on social media, saying students shouldn’t be forced to sit in front of a computer screen on what would have been a snow day were it not for a pandemic.
Hartford, along with a number of towns and cities, banned parking on city streets for 36 hours starting Wednesday night, and many COVID-19 testing sites were shut down.
While people dug out, two problems remained: Wind and cold temperatures.
Wind gusts caused snow drifts to form. Gusts reached 25-30 mph, and closer to 40 mph at the shore. The wind continued to blow after the snow slowed to a near stop.
In addition to bringing in snow, the storm ushered in colder temperatures, prompting Lamont to extend the state’s Severe Cold Weather protocol through noon Saturday. The protocol sets up a way for state agencies and municipalities to coordinate with United Way 2-1-1 and the state’s network of shelters.
About 30 shelters are open throughout Connecticut, according to the governor’s office. Anyone in need of shelter should call 2-1-1 to be connected to these services.
The low temperature Thursday night was in the teens and will only be around 11 degrees Friday night, the National Weather Service said.