Meteorologists say storm was a blizzard
A storm that meteorologists say will be remembered as a blizzard dropped a foot of snow on southeastern Connecticut on Thursday — snow that was whipped up by winds that topped 54 mph in some parts of New London County and created white-out conditions at times.
It’s a popular few days for blizzards and significant snowstorms in Connecticut. The historic blizzard of 1978 began dumping snow on Feb. 6 that year and continued to do so through Feb. 7. And, on Feb. 8, 2013, about two feet of snow brought the region to a virtual standstill.
As the snow tapered off in the early evening on Thursday, the highest snowfall total — 18 inches — was recorded in Suffield. Places like Norwich and Groton recorded 12 inches while the towns of Colchester and Montville had 13 inches and 12.6 inches, respectively, according to meteorologist Gary Lessor, assistant director of The Weather Center at Western Connecticut State University.
Lessor said the storm was in fact a nor'easter because of direction of the winds, which came in from the north and northeast. Once the storm exhibits blizzard conditions — wind speeds of 35 miles per hour or more with blowing snow and limited visibility — it will be known as a blizzard and not a nor'easter, he said.
Although some services, including the commuter rail lines on the state's southern edge, ran mostly on schedule Thursday morning, many parking bans were in effect and area schools, along with businesses such as the Crystal Mall in Waterford and Chelsea Groton Bank branches, were closed.
Most school closings were announced Wednesday in advance of the storm and more schools are expected to be closed on Friday.
In an afternoon address from the state Emergency Operations Center, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy urged people to stay off of the roads and said nonessential first- and second-shift state employees should not report to work during the storm. He expects that state offices will be open Friday.
Malloy said state police had responded to more than 600 calls for service throughout the day, about 70 of which were crashes. State police at noon said more than 230 of those calls were vehicles that had spun out or gotten stuck.
According to the DOT, a tractor-trailer crashed not long after 9 a.m. near Exit 92 on I-95 south in North Stonington. DOT officials said the rig had rolled down an embankment. The right lane was closed for about an hour. The Exit 92 off-ramp remained closed until 1 p.m.
Just before noon, DOT spokesman Kevin Nursick said the department had decided to suspend bus service throughout the state until Friday morning.
Shortly before 1 p.m., state police closed both sides of I-95 near Exit 71 in Old Lyme because multiple vehicles were stuck on both sides of the highway. In East Lyme, officials around the same time closed Old Black Point Road near its intersection with Indian Rock Road because of a downed power line.
About 2:15 p.m., the state Department of Transportation reported the right lane of Interstate 95 south on the Gold Star Memorial Bridge was closed because of a multivehicle crash. Several lanes of traffic also were closed for hours on I-95 south on the Baldwin Bridge over the Connecticut River due to two jackknifed trucks. Officials throughout the region reported winds were beginning to topple trees.
Bradley International Airport remained open, although there was a two-hour window from noon to 2 p.m., when there were no flight operations scheduled and the airfield was closed for snow removal, according to the state's Airport Authority.
Sixty-three percent of flights at Bradley were canceled during the day, and the airport expected more throughout the evening. Those traveling Friday should check with their airline to confirm their flight status.
At 5 p.m., the state enacted its severe cold weather protocol as strong wind gusts brought the wind chill factor below zero. That protocol, a joint effort of several state agencies, will remain in effect until 5 p.m. Friday. Those who need or know someone who needs shelter can call 211 to find a nearby opening.
Despite the high winds, no severe power outages were reported. Less than 1 percent of all Eversource customers scattered throughout the region were without power as of 5 p.m.
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