It took mere hours to break the record for snowfall in Connecticut in October and, by 4 p.m., Gov. Dannel Malloy had ordered all non-emergency vehicles off the roads.
Many Connecticut residents have no power and several cities and towns have activated emergency operations centers.
As of 4:30 p.m., more than 7 inches have fallen in New Fairfield and the snow just keeps coming down. By daybreak on Sunday, the northwestern part of the state could get up to 15 inches.
Heavy snow is expected statewide on Saturday night, along with strong, gusty winds and falling temperatures.
By the time all is said and done, 6-10 inches is expected through much of inland Connecticut though Litchfield County is expected to receive 10-15 inches. Along the shoreline the greater New Haven area can expect 3-6 inches while southeastern Connecticut gets 1-3 inches.
© NBC NewsIsabella, Delaney and Brendan with their pumpkins on this early wintry day on Saturday, Oct. 29.
Gov. Dannel Malloy opened the Emergency Operations Center at the Hartford Armory on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Mitch Gross, of Connecticut Light & Power, said all crews will be on call, starting on Saturday and will be on call through the weekend.
The weekend storm is coming on the heels of the first wintry weather of the season. A slushy coating of snow fell in northern Connecticut on Thursday night.
As snow began to fall, crashes and spin-outs were reported.
Heavy snow accumulation in October is virtually unheard of in most of Connecticut. In the greater Hartford area, measurable snow has only occurred three times in the last 100 years. Along the shoreline measurable snow has only occurred once.
Before Saturday, the greatest October snowstorm in metro Hartford dropped 1.7 inches on Oct. 10, 1979 and the heaviest October snowfall in Connecticut history occurred on Oct. 4, 1987 in Norfolk with 9.5 inches of accumulation.
Reader Comments
to our Newsletter