Arctic blast
Cold weather protocol in place until 9 a.m. Saturday
Dangerous cold settled in across Connecticut late Wednesday when an arctic blast brought subzero wind chills as a bitter encore to heavy snow squalls that ripped across the state in the afternoon.
Dangerous cold settled in across Connecticut late Wednesday when an arctic blast brought subzero wind chills as a bitter encore to heavy snow squalls that ripped across the state in the afternoon.
A final chance of snow showers just before midnight was expected to give way to low temperatures just above 10 degrees across the state and even lower wind chills below 0 degrees on the back of wind gusts up to almost 30 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
The frigid weather prompted Gov. Ned Lamont to activate the state’s Severe Cold Weather Protocol for the first time this season through 9 a.m. Saturday, when temperatures are expected to rise.
The protocol means emergency management workers on the local, state and regional levels use an Internet-based system to communicate about urgent weather-related situations and conditions, the governor’s staff said.
It also means state social services, housing and mental health employees work closely with the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness and community providers to provide transportation to those seeking shelter.
Connecticut State Police and the governor told residents to contact 211, the state’s services hotline, to connect with the local warming center or shelter in their community. Information also is available at www.211ct.org by searching “Extreme Cold Warming Centers” on the site.
In Hartford, for example, the city’s warming center at the former Milner School at 104 Vine St. is open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. each night through March.
“We must ensure that services are available to protect the most vulnerable populations during these periods of cold weather,” Lamont said. “If you or someone you know is in need of a shelter or warming center, please call 2-1-1.”
The precipitous drop in temperatures follows a slightly warmer Wednesday, which saw some of the ice, sleet and snow from the previous 48 hours melt before promptly refreezing later in the day.
Brief but blinding snow squalls began midafternoon with heavy, blowing snow and wind gusts up to 40 mph across parts of Connecticut. The line of storms quickly swept across the state, though, never lingering long enough to drop much additional accumulation in most areas.
The sudden whiteout conditions caused some problems for drivers caught out on the roads at the time, but it was not clear that anyone was hurt in car accidents that occurred during the squalls.
Gary Lessor, chief meteorologist at the Western Connecticut State University Weather Center, suggested that people clear away all the ice and slush from the previous storm before the temperature dropped from “straight from comfortable to bitter cold.”
Amy Parmenter from AAA in Greater Hartford, said drivers should make sure their car batteries are ready for the upcoming cold. Extreme cold is tough on batteries, which have to work harder to do their jobs.
“If your battery is over three years old, understand that you are living on the edge,” she said. AAA members may call and ask a technician to come to their house or job at any time and check their batteries.
Even before the temperatures began their drop, Parmenter said AAA was averaged 100
calls an hour Wednesday.
People also should make sure they are dressed properly for the cold and have a winter emergency kit with them. Such kits should have:
■ A fully charged cellphone
■ Blankets, gloves and extra warm clothing
■ A flashlight with extra batteries
■ Emergency flares or reflectors
■ A windshield scraper and brush
■ Water and snacks for small children or older passengers
■ A first aid kit
■ Additional medicines your passengers might need
■ A bag of sand or kitty litter for traction
“The concern is that drivers and their passengers will become stranded in the extreme conditions, be unprepared and at risk,” Parmenter said.
Parmenter’s tips for taking care of car batteries are:
■ Park your car in a garage whenever possible. The less frigid the air is around your car, the better for your battery.
■ Turn off your lights, wipers, and heater before you turn off your engine at the end of a drive to prevent an unnecessary drain on the battery the next time you start your car.
■ Unplug phone chargers and USB cables for devices like iPods as soon as you turn off your engine (for the same reason as No. 2)
■ Avoid using your car’s heater longer than you have to; heaters put high demands on your battery.
■ If you see corrosion on your battery, clean it or have it cleaned by a trained technician.
The messy leftovers from the sleet and snow this week caused many schools across the state to delay opening Wednesday, but districts had not announced any delays or closures for Thursday.
The bone-chilling cold will thaw a bit this weekend.
Saturday and Sunday will be warmer and mostly sunny, with Saturday’s high in the low 30s and low in the upper teens. Sunday’s high will be in the upper 30s, with a low in the mid-20s, the service said.
The preliminary Christmas Eve forecast shows temperatures in the low-to-mid-40s and no precipitation, Lessor said.
“It’s looking like good travel weather for the holidays,” he said.
On Tuesday, sleet and freezing rain blanketed Connecticut in a slushy mess, sending cars and trucks sliding around slippery roads all day and night. In places the rain then switched back to snow as temperatures dropped, once again covering roads.
Courant staff writer Zach Murdock contributed to this story.
Christine Dempsey can be reached at cdempsey@courant.com.