A slow-moving winter storm has continued to travel across Connecticut on Tuesday, bringing a mix of snow, sleet and rain that closed some schools and caused treacherous road conditions.
The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for northern Fairfield County from 7 a.m. Tuesday until 1 a.m. Wednesday. Areas farther south, particularly on the shore, has seen mostly rain.
Officials said Monday that road crews were prepared to respond to the storm.
Here are live updates as the storm hits Connecticut:
The National Weather Service said Simsbury received the most snow so far as a part of Tuesday's storm, with about four inches of accumulation recorded. They added that places such as New Hartford, Canton, Torrington and North Granby received about three inches.
By 5 p.m., the weather in most areas of northwest Connecticut had changed to sleet or rain, forecasters reported, meaning snow accumulation would likely not rise much higher.
The National Weather Service reports that snow is still possible in some towns in Litchfield County well in to Tuesday night.
While the rate of snowfall is expected to decline as the afternoon draws on into the evening, the NWS said towns such as Goshen and its surrounding area could see up to nearly 2 inches of snow until about 11 p.m.
Freezing rain has moved across some of the northern Connecticut towns where snow had been falling in places like Enfield, Torrington and Burlington. As of 1 p.m., the state was roughly 30% snow, 20% freezing rain/sleet and 50% plain rain. By 3:30 p.m., only about 10% of the state was still seeing snow, while 30% was freezing rain/sleet and 60% plain rain.
While most of Connecticut had no snow at all, and the places that did get some saw very little, Massachusetts and New York had heavy accumulation in some areas, according to the National Weather Service.
The NWS said the southwest corner of Massachusetts, such as Otis, had more than 6.5 inches of snow come down on Tuesday.
In New York, towns such as Beerston, Franklin and Richmondville had between 6 inches and 8.5 cover the ground.
The National Weather Services reports that some towns in northern Connecticut had accumulated up to 3 inches of snow by Tuesday afternoon.
The weather service said Torrington and Canton each had three inches on the ground, while places such as Windsor Locks and North Granby had between 2 and 2.8 inches.
Freezing rain is falling on parts of Connecticut around midday Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
The agency issued a special weather statement for northern portions of Fairfield, New Haven and Middlesex counties warning of freezing rain.
"Exercise caution is traveling across far northern sections. Untreated roadways, especially secondary and tertiary roadways may be slippery," it said.
The weather service also warned of freezing rain in a special weather statement for Windham County, and a winter weather advisory for Hartford and Tolland counties.
"Temperatures near or just below freezing in some spots were resulting in pockets of sleet and freezing rain. This will result in slippery spots particularly across the hills of northeast Connecticut and northwest Rhode Island for the next one to two hours," the statement for Windham County noted.
The statement was issued at 12:15 p.m.
It said temperatures should climb above freezing by late afternoon, changing freezing rain and sleet to plain rain.
A few Connecticut municipalities have enacted bans on street parking Tuesday in order to allow crews to clear the road.
The following parking bans are in effect:
All state executive branch offices are open Tuesday, according to the state Department of Administrative Services.
The executive branch offices include many public-facing state agencies such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Labor and Department of Children and Families.
Courts, which fall under the Connecticut Judicial Branch, also are open, an official said earlier.
Delays and cancellations of flights within, into and out of the United States have begun piling up by late morning Tuesday.
FlightAware, a flight tracking service, reported 2,397 delays and 138 cancellations among U.S. flights Tuesday.
Boston, New York and Washington, D.C., were among the cities affected by the delays, but the airports with the highest disruptions were Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport — all major airline hubs.
A notice posted on the state Judicial Branch instructed most jurors not to appear in court on Tuesday. The exception is for jurors selected for a trial set to begin on Tuesday, or who are serving on a trial that is underway.
Those jurors should report for service "unless directed otherwise by the Judge presiding over the trial," the notice said.
Connecticut courts otherwise are open under their normal hours Tuesday, according to a state Judicial Branch official. The only adjustment is in the Litchfield Judicial District court in Torrington, which is not transporting prisoners.
By around 9 a.m. Tuesday, light rain was falling in Fairfield in southern Connecticut. Meanwhile, about 73 miles north, the first few flakes of snow began falling in Norfolk, a small town in the Northwest Corner that borders Massachusetts.
Precipitation is expected into Tuesday night before giving way to mostly sunny skies on Wednesday.
As rain began falling Tuesday morning, roads remained clear and traffic flowed quickly along Interstates 95, 84 and 91.
Traffic on the roads was reportedly light, offering commuters an easy drive.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's office issued a news release Monday asking state residents to exercise caution during the storm.
“While New Yorkers are no strangers to snow, and preparedness is key to staying safe on the roads and at home," Hochul said in a statement.
She urged residents to make a plan, stock their cars with essentials and give themselves extra time to travel.
"State agencies stand ready to assist New Yorkers throughout the storm and our plow crews will be out keeping our roadways safe, but we encourage everyone to be weather aware and closely monitor the forecast," the governor said.
While Tuesday's storm will be the first major winter weather event of the season for the Northeast, Connecticut included, a few other winter storms already have struck the U.S. so far this season.
Most notably, a winter storm that arrived after Thanksgiving brought more than a foot of snow to several states from Montana to Pennsylvania, tying up travel for people headed home from the holiday.
While the latest forecast has the storm bringing mostly rain to Connecticut, other northeast states could see heavy snowfall.
The Weather Prediction Center said interior regions of the Northeast could see 5-10 inches of snow. The swath predicted to see the heaviest snow includes the interior of Massachusetts north through southern Vermont and includes much of New Hampshire and southern Maine.
Farther south, freezing rain is expected to bring icy conditions to the southern and central Appalachians, the Weather Prediction Center said.
"The combination of accumulating snow and ice will create hazardous travel, especially on untreated roadways and elevated surfaces, during today's morning and evening commutes" the center said.
In a statement, Amtrak Northeast said it is "closely monitoring the winter weather conditions in the northeast," and that depending on the storm's path, "service adjustments may be necessary."
The rail service said passengers should monitor their train status, and that they would be informed if service adjustments are made.
Some scattered snow showers are expected over the next two hours in Connecticut, according to CT Insider meteorologist Dan Amarante. But the storm is expected to pick up between 8 and 9 a.m.
The National Weather Service is also predicting snow and rain will pick up around mid to late morning. The agency's hourly weather predictions for western Connecticut have chances of precipitation at or near 100% starting around 10 a.m.
The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference decided Monday to postpone all two dozen football quarterfinal-round playoff games to Wednesday, due to the storm.
The semifinals have also been pushed from Sunday afternoon to next Monday.
While the storm still could bring accumulating snowfall to northwestern Connecticut, the latest forecast had only a brief period of snow everywhere else that will quickly turn over to rain.
That means much of Connecticut likely will see little to no accumulation, according to CT Insider Meteorologist Dan Amarante.
Outside of the northwest corner, central and northern Connecticut could see an inch or two of slushy snow, depending on the intensity of the initial snowfall.
Ahead of the storm, some schools in northern and particularly northwestern Connecticut announced they would close or have a delayed opening Tuesday.
The schools that closed included Torrington Public Schools and Regional School District 20, which serves students from Goshen, Litchfield, Morris and Warren.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm for five of the state's northern counties.
The state of emergency took effect at 5 a.m. Tuesday, and applies to Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and Warren counties.
"Starting early tomorrow morning, we anticipate snowfall, sleet, and freezing rain. I urge all drivers to exercise caution, remain alert, and follow all safety protocols," Murphy said in a post on X.
The National Weather Service has also issued a winter weather advisory for that area of inland northern New Jersey.
The U.S. Postal Service issued a reminder to residents to clear sidewalks, steps and mailboxes of snow so mail carriers can safely make deliveries.
"If they cannot reach your mailbox, they cannot deliver your mail," Connecticut District Manager Josh Balcunas said in a statement.
The post office said residents should clear enough snow from boxes that are curbside so that mail trucks can approach, make deliveries and leave without needing to back up.
Walkways should also be cleared of snow and ice, as well as overhangs, to prevent injury, the U.S. Postal Service said.
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