A winter storm pounded Connecticut Sunday, bringing significant snowfall and travel disruptions.
Snow accumulations of up to 20 inches were possible in parts of the state. As of 7 p.m. Sunday, some cities saw about 15 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.
Snow continued to fall Sunday evening. Several school districts announced closures Monday. State executive office buildings are also closed Monday.
A winter storm warning remains in effect for Connecticut through Monday. Motorists are advised to stay off the roads.
Gov. Ned Lamont declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm.
“This winter weather event is still not over, and we are strongly encouraging everyone to stay off the roads on Monday if you can, not only for your own safety and the safety of others but also so plow crews have room to clear the roads of snow and ice,”
Lamont said in a statement Sunday evening.
Lamont signed an order banning commercial vehicles from traveling on all limited access highways in Connecticut beginning at noon on Sunday. The order remains in effect until further notice.
Josh Morgan, communication director for the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT), echoed Lamont's message.
“We’ve been telling people to stay home, stay safe, stay off the road," Morgan said.
Stamford resident Maya Spruill was in no rush to head outside. Spruill admired the snow from the comfort of her house.
“Born and raised in Connecticut so I feel like if I didn’t like it, I probably would have moved," Spruill said. "I prefer for it not to snow because of the shoveling and just getting in and out and my bones getting freezing cold. But I do like the way it hits the trees and how beautiful it is.”
Southern Connecticut can expect total snow accumulations between 10 and 16 inches. Sleet may mix in with the snow late Sunday evening, the National Weather Service said . In Fairfield County, parts of Bridgeport and Ridgefield reported 14 inches as of 7 p.m. Sunday,
In northern Connecticut, snow accumulations could be between 12 and 20 inches. The snow was expected to fall rapidly, with over two inches falling each hour Sunday afternoon and evening.
In Hartford County, parts of Wethersfield and Simsbury recorded 15 inches as of 7 p.m. Sunday, the weather service said.
In Hartford, Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said city public works employees were hard at work on Sunday evening, including 53 plow drivers.
“This is the biggest snowstorm we've had in over a decade,” Arulampalam said. “It is near white-out conditions out there. The snow is going to continue to fall heavily between now and midnight, and we are asking people to continue to stay off the roads.”
Arulampalam said Hartford residents had taken heed of warnings.
“The level of compliance has been great,” the mayor said. “People stayed off the roads. People really are staying inside.”
“Hartford's our very best when we check on each other, when we care for one another, and I think we're seeing that in the storm,” Arulampalam said.
First responders reported multiple single-vehicle crashes on Sunday afternoon, according to CTDOT.
“There’s widespread, heavy accumulation across the state,” said Morgan, the CTDOT spokesperson. “It absolutely has ratcheted up in intensity, [with a] really significant impact to travel.”
Morgan said hundreds of plow drivers had been activated and begun to clear roads across Connecticut, and they’re expected to work well into Monday.
“Once that snow stops falling, there's still a lot of plowing that has to be done,” Morgan said. “They're not going to go home at 7 a.m. tomorrow. They're going to be out well into the day, because there's a lot of accumulation, a lot of snow. We haven't had snowfall accumulation like this in several years.”
Morgan encouraged residents to stay off the roads for the rest of Sunday and to check the Department of Transportation’s travel advisory website before leaving home on Monday, as travel could still be impacted by the storm.
In a 5 p.m. Sunday press briefing, state officials gave an update on crashes and injuries.
“We’ve had 51 non-injury crashes, two injury crashes … and we’ve responded to 135 other traffic-related calls for service,” said Col. Daniel Loughman, commanding officer of the Connecticut State Police.
“We did have one significant incident on the highway: On I-95, we did have a bus crash,” Loughman said, adding that five people were hospitalized from that incident.
State Emergency Management Director William Turner said that there had been no reported injuries or fatalities from the storm other than the traffic injuries.
Officials urged patience and caution as the snowstorm moves out and cleanup continues Monday.
“Your schools will be closed tomorrow, Most businesses, I think, will be closed tomorrow,” Lamont said. “Stay off the roads.”
With roads closed, some, like Spruill, tried to make the most of the heavy snowfall. She said the storm reminded her of her childhood.
“Might do a snow angel, not really sure yet,” Spruill said.
Connecticut Public's Eddy Martinez, Chris Polansky and Patrick Skahill contributed to this report, which has been updated.
