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Heavy Snow, Frigid Cold, Ice Blankets Ridgefield After Storm

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. -- A blizzard predicted to strike Fairfield County last week fizzled out and brought complaints of bad forecasting. 

Deer Hill Avenue in Danbury remained snow-covered late Monday afternoon despite repeated attempts at plowing.

Deer Hill Avenue in Danbury remained snow-covered late Monday afternoon despite repeated attempts at plowing.

Photo Credit: Karen Tensa

But the storm that hit the area Monday partially made up for that disappointing blizzard as it dumped more than a foot of snow along with an icy mix on parts of Fairfield County. 

And now it is leaving bitter cold in its wake, with lows of about 7 degrees and wind chills expected to be well below zero Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

As a result, hazardous travel conditions will continue through the early morning hours with roads covered by snow and ice. Scattered power outages are also possible from falling tree limbs and strong winds.

The system, which included a wintry mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain, had been largely overlooked in the Super Bowl hype, according to Gov. Dannel Malloy. 

But in the end, schools and many offices were closed on Monday, and the opening of many other businesses were delayed as the storm pounded the region all day.  

Here are snow totals from the National Weather Service for parts of Fairfield County for the storm: 

  • Weston: 14.3 inches
  • New Fairfield: 12 inches
  • Bridgeport Airport: 10 inches 
  • Stamford: 10 inches
  • Danbury: 10 inches
  • Wilton: 10 inches 
  • Newtown: 9.1 inches
  • Norwalk: 8.7 inches
  • Brookfield: 7.1 inches
  • Ridgefield 7.0 inches
  • Darien: 7.0 inches
  • New Canaan: 7.0 inches
  • Fairfield: 6.0 inches

Malloy said the storm that hit the state Monday was not extraordinary, as opposed to what was threatened last week, he said. He said he did not feel the need to issue travel bans or declare a state of emergency for this storm.

“In the last storm, we were being threatened with 4 inches of accumulation per hour for a number of hours that would have led to a total of somewhere between 20 and 30 inches of snow. Very different circumstances than the ones being presented in this storm, which is a long-duration storm, but not snowfall at a 4-inch clip,” Malloy said.

“If we expect people to honor our closures of these systems, it has to be based on the faith that when we say there are extraordinary circumstances, that they are in fact extraordinary. We live in New England, we get snow."

The big chill may not end anytime soon. 

“The biggest concern ... is that it will be extremely cold for a period of time,” said Gary Lessor, assistant to the director of meteorological studies and the Weather Center at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. 

“There will be days [in February] where it is 20 to 25 degrees colder than the normal for this time of the year,” he said, with temperatures falling into the teens and single digits. 

How long will the blasts of cold last? It could be a while: Monday was Groundhog Day. Punxsutawney Phil came out of his burrow and saw his shadow, which means there will be six more weeks of winter, according to folklore legend. 

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