Cold, Cold, More Cold (And Snow) In Forecast

By Kendra Bobowick

With blankets hugged closely around their shoulders, residents who woke early Thursday morning to shuffle toward a window saw outdoor thermometers edging toward 10 degrees; a quiet snow dusting its top. Flakes were small, fell lightly, and gathered like dust across roadways and sidewalks Thursday, slowing traffic and delaying school openings by 90 minutes, accompanying a frigid cold striking the region. Temperatures that had dropped Wednesday would stay low through the weekend, with the possibility of more snow, according to one local forecast.

If you don’t like the cold, “buckle down,” advises Western Connecticut State University Weather Center Assistant Director Gary Lessor. “We’re in the heart of winter,” he said. Expect the snow and cold for at least the next 30 days, before things start to get better, he said.

The region has seen much snow since winter began — five to six inches above average. “It’s certainly not much above normal,” Mr Lessor said. “It’s not unheard of; we’re in a period of active storms.” Another storm system is on its way for Saturday, he warned. “It could be moderate [snowfall],” he said. And, it is very cold.

“Typically, it’s colder earlier in the season,” he said. The chill will last through Saturday before temperatures go from very cold to only cold.

Why the freezing blast?

“We have been abnormally warm and Mother Nature is trying to average things out. That’s what she is doing,” Mr Lessor explained.

According to the Western Connecticut State University Weather Center’s latest weather summary, available online at www.wcsu.ctstateu.edu/weather, “A quick moving low pressure system [dropped] 1 to 4 inches of snow across the region Thursday morning before moving off the coast, allowing afternoon sunshine to develop. Temperatures [were] very cold with highs in the teens. Fair skies are expected [today, January 16] and Saturday.” Another system will bring a round of light snow on Sunday, the forecast predicts.

Day-by-day forecasts describe “very cold” and “unseasonably cold” conditions as the temperature freeze moves through town, with estimated lows of zero degrees and just one degree temperatures for Friday and Saturday, jumping to lows of 11 and 18 degrees for Sunday and Monday, with highs for those days still below freezing in the high 20-degree range.

With more snow in the meteorologist’s crystal ball coming as soon as Saturday and into Sunday, how is the town handling it? Highway Department Operations Manager Joe Tani had full crews out Thursday morning, he said. With everything sanded and all roads open, he said, “Things are smooth.” Residents eager to clear their walks and driveways would do best to wait until his crews have done their plowing, he said. “It’s better to wait until we are done so you’re not plowed back in.”

The budget is another matter.

Highway Department head Fred Hurley is asking for a transfer of funds from the town’s contingency of $190,000. “We’re asking $125,000 for salt, $30,000 for sand, and $35,000 for winter overtime beyond what was budgeted [for this season],” he said Thursday morning.

Hoping to supplement his department’s funds either with town contingency or state aid, he is counting on the town for help this season. “We’re not sure about state aid, so we’re asking for contingency,” he said. As of Wednesday night, he had $15,000 left in for overtime going into that night’s storm. By Thursday morning and heading toward a snowy weekend, he guessed that money would soon be gone.

“Carrying us through is the fact that we had material from last season and we’re living on surplus,” Mr Hurley said. “We’re not out of salt and material, but now we need funding to get us through the rest of the winter.”

The selectmen need to approve the requested transfer, which then goes to the Legislative Council and Board of Finance. Winters are tough to predict, Mr Hurley explained. “You never know with these things. Some winters snow ends in January and you see nothing in February and March; you just don’t know,” he said.