Nor’easter makes it way to CT as snow totals continue to pile up
As a Nor’easter begins to move through Connecticut, expected to bring up to 18 inches of snow in some areas, many schools are closed, state offices have shuddered and flight cancellations have begun to rack up.
At least 14 flights out of Bradley International Airport were canceled as of about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, and schools from Fairfield to Litchfield counties called snow days for students.
A Winter Storm Warning was in effect for most of Northern Litchfield County and Hartford County until 8 a.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Up to 12 to 18 inches of heavy, wet snow was expected to accumulate in Litchfield, compared to about 3 to 8 inches in Hartford, the weather service said.
Gov. Ned Lamont ordered all executive branch state buildings closed on Tuesday due to the storm, asking that Level 2 — or nonessential — state employees not report to work in-person Tuesday.
“This is shaping up to be a unique winter storm for our small state in that there will be big differences in snowfall amounts depending on where you are located,” Lamont said. “Some towns may receive a significant snowfall total, while others may receive a fraction of that amount or maybe even just rain.
“Out of an abundance of caution, especially looking at the current rate of school closures and considering that we have state offices located in every region of the state and state employees who live in every region of the state, we are directing all Level 2 state employees to stay home on Tuesday, and those whose job duties allow them to work remotely should do so,” he said.
Lamont also implemented a ban on all tandem and empty tractor-trailers on I-84 starting at 6 a.m. Tuesday.
The governor’s office said the ban, done in coordination with New York, is due to the heavy, wet snow and winds predicted.
“During peak periods of this storm, we are expecting to see very strong wind gusts and heavy wet snow in the northern region of the state, particularly along the I-84 corridor,” Lamont said. “This storm is unique for our small state in that some areas are expected to receive a significant impact and in other regions, it may be less severe. I encourage everyone to stay alert for weather updates and take caution if you need to travel.”
The NWS warned in their advisories that travel in some parts of the state will be “very difficult.”
For air travel, Bradley International Airport reported that the airport was still open with snow removal operations underway and ongoing throughout the day. As of about 6:30 a.m., the airport was reporting that about 15% of flights scheduled for Tuesday were canceled.
The weather service predicted that snowfall rates are expected to surpass one inch per hour and that the weight of heavy snow on tree branches may result in power outages.
As of about 8:45 a.m., Eversource was reporting just over 5,000 outages, less than 1% of customers.
