As the region begins a new work week, meteorologists across the country are watching a storm system forming over New England and the Mid-Atlantic states that has led the National Weather Service to issue Blizzard Warnings, Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories over at least a dozen states as of Monday morning.Heavy snow is expected late Monday and into Tuesday, with 1-2 feet in the New York-New Jersey metro area and points north and west, 8-14 inches along the coast of eastern Long Island and southeastern Connecticut.Wind, Tuesday morning and afternoon, could be 35-50 mph, highest along the coast, with gusts of 60 mph across eastern Long Island and southeastern Connecticut, with potential for power outages.Coastal Flooding could be widespread, with minor to moderate impacts, during the high tide cycles of Tuesday morning into early afternoon, for the southern and eastern bay areas of Long Island.Marine effects on Tuesday could include wind gusts of 45-55+ KT, with seas 15-20 feet on the ocean and 4-8 feet on the Sound.Closings, Cancellations, Changes Of PlansThe Newtown Bee to announce any change of plans due to the weather. Contact Associate Editor Shannon Hicks at 203-426-3141 or shannon@thebee.com.UpdatesThe following notices have been received concerning local events. This list will be updated as information is received.Class LL State Boys Swim Championships, originally scheduled for Tuesday, March 14, has been bumped up to Monday, March 13. It will begin at 6 pm, at Wesleyan University in Middletown.EverWonder Children's Museum has announced it will be closed on Tuesday, March 14, due to the impending blizzard. Pi Day will be celebrated on Saturday, March 18.Brown Bag Business Hour at C.H. Booth Library has been postponed to Tuesday, May 9.Newtown Municipal Center will be closed on Tuesday, March 14. "All non-essential employees are directed to stay at home," Ms Will continued. "The decision to open on Wednesday will be made during emergency management operations meetings on Tuesday." All residents, she added, are encouraged to "stay off the roadways, be home and be safe."Argentinian Wine Pairing Dinner at Nouveau Monde Wine Bar+Bistro scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed to Thursday, March 16.Newtown Public Schools, school offices, and Board of Education Central Office will all be closed Tuesday, March 14, according to Superintendent of Schools Dr Joseph Erardi.C.H. Booth Library will be closed Tuesday, March 14. As of Monday, the library plans to reopen at noon Wednesday, March 15. The library's Board of Trustees meeting scheduled for March 14 has been rescheduled for 7 pm Tuesday, March 21.Newtown Parks & Recreation Commission, Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Association and Borough Board of Burgesses have all been cancelled. In addition, the March 15 Board of Education Policy Subcommittee special meeting and the Board of Assessment Appeals regular meeting have also been cancelled.Blue Lotus Yoga in Monroe will be closed Tuesday, March 14.Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers have cancelled their March 14 meeting.Newtown Youth & Family Services announced on Monday that it would be closed on Tuesday, March 14.TRAVEL BAN: Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced during a 5 pm news briefing on Monday that a statewide travel ban will be in effect beginning at 5 am Tuesday. The order signed by the governor will remain in effect until further notice, and is a prohibition on all vehicular traffic, including passenger vehicles, on all state roads, with the exception of emergency response and recovery vehicles, including public safety vehicles, utility vehicles, and vehicles carrying essential personnel or supplies.State employees are not to report to work on Tuesday. All nonessential first and second-shift state employees should not report to work on March 14, the governor announced Monday afternoon.The Department of Motor Vehicles has cancelled all road skills tests through Wednesday, March 15, at noon. In addition, knowledge tests are also cancelled for Tuesday, March 14.

The approaching storm, which many have been watching since last week, has had a "significant westward shift," according to a blizzard briefing issued by the weather service at 6:30 am, March 13. Fairfield County will be completely covered by the Blizzard Warning, as will New Haven and Middlesex Counties. The northern portion of New London County will also be under the Blizzard Warning, which will run from midnight Monday to midnight Tuesday.

Heavy snow and blizzard conditions, with snow accumulations of 18-24 inches, are expected. Snowfall rates on Tuesday, March 14, could be 2-4 inches per hour early Tuesday morning into Tuesday afternoon. Power outages are "possible," according to the warning.

A Winter Storm Warning will be in effect for eastern Long Island and very southeastern Connecticut "due to uncertainties in duration of heavy snow before changeover to sleet/rain," according to the NWS briefing.

Dangerous travel conditions for the Tuesday, March 14 morning commute are being predicted by the weather service. Whiteout conditions with several roads likely impassable are also expected.

According to the March 13 morning briefing:

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NWS is predicting the blizzard could drop 20-21 inches of snow across an area that stretches from Newark, N.J., north to Montgomery and Carmel, N.Y., and westerly toward Waterbury and Meriden, Conn.

The weather service reminds all residents within the Blizzard Warning area: "A Blizzard Warning means severe winter weather conditions are expected or occurring. Falling and blowing snow with strong winds and poor visibilities are likely. This will lead to whiteout conditions ... making travel extremely dangerous. Do not travel. If you must travel … have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded … stay with your vehicle."

Over the weekend, Peter Pan Bus Lines announced service cancellations for Tuesday, March 14, "due to the impending weather conditions."

All services on the majority of the bus line's routes have been cancelled, including Boston-New York, New York-Boston, Springfield-New York and vice versa (including stops in Hartford, New Britain, New Haven, and Bridgeport), and Hartford-New York and vice versa (including stops in Danbury, Southbury, Waterbury, et al). Check PeterPanBus.com for all service routes affected and updates.

Local businesses, organizations, boards, commissions, etc are invited to contact

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Maureen Will, communications director for the Town of Newtown, issued a CodeRED message early Monday afternoon alerting residents that

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March 14 meetings for