CT Weather: Crashes Minimal As Residents Heed Travel Warning

CONNECTICUT — An impressive snowstorm will end up dropping about a foot of snow on much of Connecticut, though some places along the coast will end up with less.

The storm dropped between eight and 14 inches of snow across Connecticut, Gov. Ned Lamont said during a Thursday morning news conference. Some parts of the state experienced snowfall rates of two inches per hour.

The state had more than 700 snow plows working to clear state roads and highways. There were minimal reports of crashes and power outages, Lamont said. The state enacted a tractor-trailer ban last night in tandem with New York.

"That made a difference, that kept the roads cleared," Lamont said. "Thanks to each and every one of you, you limited travel as well, that allowed our snow plows to do the job."

There were 46 motor vehicle crashes reported to state police as of 9 a.m. and 131 calls for motor vehicle assists. Eversource reported 356 power outages Thursday morning and United Illuminating reported 100.

A substantial number of state roads and highways will be cleared of snow by noon, Lamont said.

After more than a week of non-stop talk the snowstorm delivered for the most part, though some earlier predictions of possibly up to 20 inches of snow didn't materialize.

As we begin our day on Thursday, the question that remains is how much more snow will we get. It appears most of the major accumulating snow is over. Southern Connecticut may see an additional 1-3 inches before noon, according to the National Weather Service.

Northern Connecticut may see up to four more inches of snow before it ends.

The big news next is the bitter cold that moves in and stays with us for the next several days. It appears winter has arrived.

WTNH News 8 chief meteorologist Gil Simmons said, Snow for the next few hours this morning with some additional accumulation. I would wait until around lunchtime to clean the driveway! Some breaks of sunshine possible this afternoon, but I do want you to dress for a wind chill of 0° to about 15°! Clear tonight through Saturday. High temperatures tomorrow and Saturday in the 30s! Maybe a rain or snow shower late Sunday and Monday."

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Here are the latest national weather service updates:

Southern Connecticut:

A winter storm warning remains in effect until 1 p.m.

* WHAT...Heavy snow. Additional snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches. Total snowfall 7 to 13 inches. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph.

* IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions will impact the morning commute.

Hartford CT-Tolland CT-Windham CT

A winter storm warning remains in effect until 1 p.m.

* WHAT...Heavy snow. Additional snow accumulations of 4 to 7 inches.

* IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult to impossible. The hazardous conditions could impact this morning commute.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Ongoing moderate to heavy snow will be tapering to light snow by early this afternoon. Snow tapers off by mid-afternoon.

Litchfield County:

A winter storm warning remains in effect until 1 p.m.

* WHAT...Heavy snow. Total snow accumulations of 16 to 24 inches across the Greater Capital Region, eastern Catskills, Helderbergs, Taconics, Berkshires, and southern Vermont. Storm
totals of 8 to 16 inches over the Lake George northern Saratoga Region including Washington County.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Snowfall rates of 1 to 4 inches per hour this morning especially over the eastern Catskills, mid Hudson Valley, Taconics, Greater Capital Region, southern Vermont and
the northern Berkshires.

Forecast details for the rest of the next week in CT:

Tonight
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 17. Wind chill values between 10 and 15. North wind 7 to 9 mph.

Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 32. Wind chill values between 10 and 20. North wind 5 to 8 mph.

Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 11. Wind chill values between 5 and 10. North wind 3 to 6 mph.

Saturday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 33. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23.

Sunday
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39.

Sunday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25.

Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 40.

Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 30.

Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 43.

Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 26.

Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 40.