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Blizzard Hits Before Dawn, May Drop 2 Feet Of Snow In Monroe, Trumbull

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. — Residents across Fairfield County woke up Tuesday morning to find snow falling and whiteout conditions as a blizzard began to pound the East Coast while they slept.  

Up to 2 feet of snow could fall in parts of Fairfield County as a blizzard slams the Northeast on Tuesday.

Up to 2 feet of snow could fall in parts of Fairfield County as a blizzard slams the Northeast on Tuesday.

Photo Credit: National Weather Service

And by the time it stops snowing when you go to bed Tuesday night, there could be up to 2 feet of snow on the ground, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service. 

Related story: Shoppers cram the aisles at grocery stores to stock up for storm.

Here's what you need to know about the storm, dubbed #StellaBlizzard by the Weather Channel and #BlizzardEugene by WFSB-TV: 

  • The state of Connecticut is under a Blizzard Warning until late Tuesday night, along with the entire New York metro region. The Blizzard Warning stretches from the Philadelphia area to the Boston area, and into the interior parts of the Northeast.  
  • The snow began falling between 3 and 5 a.m. Tuesday. 
  • The latest forecast calls for snowfall totals of 19 inches along the Fairfield County coastline to 24 inches inland, according to the NWS. 
  • It will be blustery, with a north wind of 22 to 25 mph, and gusts as high as 55 mph. 
  • Winds will be strong enough to knock down tree limbs and power lines, causing power outages, especially along the coast. 
  • Minor to moderate flooding could occur at high tide in the afternoon, with the tide 2 to 3 feet higher than normal. 
  • Snow could fall at a rate of 3 to 4 inches per hour. 
  • Temperatures will be in the upper 20s, but feel colder due to the strong winds. 
Related story: Shovels, generators, salt: Get 'em before they're gone.

Here are ways that the storm could impact the region on Tuesday:  

  • Gov. Dannel Malloy ordered a travel ban on the state's highways beginning at 5 a.m. Tuesday. Violating the ban can mean a $92 fine. Only essential travel is permitted on the state roads.
  • All school districts in Fairfield County are closed Tuesday, along with most City Halls and Town Halls, libraries, senior centers and more. Call before heading out. Check with your workplace as well.
  • CTTransit buses and Greater Bridgeport Transit buses will not run Tuesday because of the snow. 
  • Service is suspended on Shore Line East trains for Tuesday. 
  • On Amtrak, Acela service is canceled between New York and Boston, and other trains are running on a modified schedule. 
  • Metro-North Railroad‏ is running on a reduced schedule Tuesday with no service on the New Canaan, Danbury, Waterbury, Wassaic branches.

  • Metro-North has 1,500 personnel working on storm preparation and response. 
  • Metro-North has more than 270 pieces of storm-fighting equipment on hand, including: 212 snowblowers, 35 pickup truck plows, three rail-bound jets, and 767,000 pounds of salt.
  • There could be structural damage due to the weight of the heavy snowfall. 
  • United Illuminating and Eversource warned customers to be prepared for power outages, but both have crews on hand to deal with any problems that occur. 
  • Click here for related story: Preparing for power outages.
  • The Connecticut Department of Transportation pretreated the roadways and has 634 plow trucks and 250 private contract plow operators on standby to clear over 10,000 lane miles of roads in Connecticut. 
  • Click here for related story: DOT prepares the roads for the snowstorm.
  • An additional 35,000 lane miles of roads are maintained by Connecticut cities and towns.
  • The state’s Severe Cold Weather Protocol has also been activated through 8 a.m. Thursday, March 16. A listing of all available shelters and warming centers open statewide can be found by calling 2-1-1 or visiting www.211ct.org.

For updates throughout the duration of the storm, click here to visit the State of Connecticut’s official winter storm website.

To get email texts and alerts from the MTA for Metro-North trains, click here to sign up. You can choose whether to receive alerts and information on subway, bus, train or bridge/tunnel service.

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