Hartford — The governor and legislative leaders agreed to postpone the start of the 2014 legislative session to Thursday because of the impending snowstorm on Wednesday that could bring 4 to 12 inches to Connecticut.

“Given the forecast over the next couple of days, I’ve asked legislative leaders to postpone the start of the legislative session until February 6,” said Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. “While I hope the storm is not as bad as the predictions suggest, I also don’t want to put anyone in harm’s way.”

Senate President Pro Tempore Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, said, “Safety is first and foremost. It makes sense to exercise caution and move the opening day to Thursday ...”

The postponement “is the prudent thing to do for the safety of all concerned,” said House Speaker Brendan Sharkey, D-Hamden.

Malloy will partially activate the state’s Emergency Operations Center at midnight to monitor the storm conditions across the state, he said in a press release. Snowfall is forecast to range from 4 inches to 6 inches along the coast, 5 inches to 9 inches across most of the state and up to 12 inches in the Northwest Hills, according to the governor’s press release.