Light snow is expected to begin falling after 4 a.m. Thursday and could leave a coating of snow in time for the Thursday morning commute. Snow will continue through Thursday, but will get heavier Thursday night into Friday morning.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning extending from Thursday at 4 a.m. to Friday at 10 a.m.
Fox CT meteorologist Matt Scott said that the storm will last for nearly 24 hours. “The real heavy snow doesn’t come until the back end of this storm Thursday night into early Friday,” Scott said.
Scott said to expect snowfall totals between 6 and 10 inches. Localized totals are hard to predict because the snow will be light and fluffy and there will be lots of wind, he said. Fox CT chief meteorologist Joe Furey said that wind gusts up to 40 mph were possible Thursday night. The storm is predicted to end by noon Friday.
Coastal flooding is possible in Fairfield and New Haven counties, Scott said.
The storm will bring record cold, too, with temperatures near zero Friday night. Wind chills will be near 20 below zero.
On Long Island, the strong winds have prompted a blizzard warning for Thursday night.
Schools could be canceled Friday, although Furey said it’s possible that they’ll get Thursday classes in.
Some districts were not taking any chances, though. New Britain said Wednesday night that its schools would be closed Thursday. Sacred Heart School in New Britain is closed, too. Stonington and North Stonington also decided Wednesday to close schools on Thursday.
Some airlines have begun to notify passengers that flights might be disrupted. US Airways and JetBlue have relaxed fees for passengers using area airports, including Bradley, who might have to change flight plans due to the storm. Individual airlines make their own decisions about canceling flights, and the operations staff at Bradley International Airport urged travelers to check with their airlines.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy asked people to stay off the roads during the worst of the storm.
“I am also asking that you avoid travel during the height of the storm Thursday night,” he said Wednesday.
Malloy said that the state was working to aid those in need of shelter or a warm place to stay.
“I urge anyone in need of shelter to call 2-1-1 and encourage local communities to consider opening warming centers or other facilities to help people in need,” he said.
State police will have extra patrols to keep a watch for motorists who become stranded, and to ensure that roads are clear so that state Department of Transportation plow crews can keep working, said Lt. J. Paul Vance.
Some communities, including Bloomfield, have already begun to issue parking bans for Thursday night and Friday. Farmington issued a parking ban that begins immediately.