Not Again! Another Storm May Be Headed Our Way Thursday Night

It's still a little early to tell for sure, but the National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for later this week. "Another winter storm may impact the area Thursday night into Friday," the National Weather Service said late Tuesday.

Until then, drivers should be on the lookout for icy conditions tonight, since the temperatures will be dropping below freezing and there is a chance of freezing rain, the National Weather Service said.

Edmond Brunt, the town's public safety answering point, said there was only accident in town Tuesday, mid-afternoon on the Hammonasset Connector. He said there were no injuries.

Brunt recommended that drivers use caution overnight as temperatures drop. "They should be on the lookout for black ice," he said. He added that temperatures can vary significantly from one town to the other. "I was in Madison today and it was 44 and I drove into New Haven, where there was ice on the trees. I looked at the temperature and it was 33."

Madison schools closed Tuesday, road clearing started around 3 a.m.

The Madison Public Schools were closed Tuesday as sleet, snow, and rain made local roads slick and dangerous. The town's Department of Public Works emloyees started the day at 3 a.m. and were still working late in the day, clearing roads. In the town center, most merchants managed to clear their sidewalks by late morning.

Madison police Tuesday morning recommended people stay off the roads and sidewalks. Connecticut Light & Power reported that about 93 of its 8,995 customers in Madison were without power, or less than 1 percent. As of about 5:30 p.m., there will still about 70 customers in Madison affected by power outages.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has ordered a partial activation of the state Emergency Operations Center to monitor power outages and road conditions. 

“I am urging everyone to take it slow on the roads, and if you don’t have to go out, please consider staying home until the plows have a chance to get through our roads following the morning commute,” Gov. Malloy said in a prepared release. “We are closely monitoring the situation and will make any necessary decisions in terms of staggered release or other actions later this morning. But in the meantime, please be safe and mindful of the elements at hand.”

Keep an eye on and report droopy power lines and roofs

 Gov. Malloy also urged Connecticut residents to alert authorities to any drooping power lines and monitor snow piled up on flat surfaces, which could threaten roofs as  as rain and ice are added on top of snow already there from earlier storms.

The Scranton Library in Madison was closed this morning but was scheduled to open around noon, according to a recording on the library answering machine.

 Tuesday morning, the state Department of Transportation issued the following report: "Tractor Trailer Accident (Tractor Trailer Vs 1 Veh) on I-95 Southbound between Exits 56 and 55. The right lane is closed. Reported Tuesday, January 18 at 5:04 am."

Tuesday afternoon there was another accident reported. "Motor Vehicle Accident (2 Vehicle) on I-95 Southbound between Exits 51 and 48. The left lane is closed. Reported Tuesday, January 18 at 12:00 pm. Estimated time to clear: 1 hour or less."

Metro North reports delay Tuesday morning

Also Tuesday morning, Metro North reported 30 minutes delays from New Haven to Stamford, both ways, due to problems with an overhead electrical line. The issue should be resolved by late morning. There are no reported delays or problems for the Shoreline East commute which includes Clinton and Madison.

Troop F  reports bad road conditions in Clinton and Madison, but no accidents on I-95 or the off ramps.

The National Weather Service says a winter weather advisory is in effect from 1 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Lt. Paul Vance, spokesman for the Connecticut State Police, interviewed on NBC-30 this morning, said this is a "very, very dangerous" storm.

Stay at home, keep kids away from the roads

The dispatcher from the Connecticut State Police Troop E Barrack reported the same, and said that Interstate 95 was starting to ice up.

"It's getting bad out," she said.

Vance said there are accidents on all major highways in the state, and on many secondary roads as well. The timing of this storm, and the icy nature of the precipitation make for a bad mix for driving.

"No matter what the DOT does, or the local crews, it's going to be very tough traveling," Vance said. "Cars will be losing control no matter how slow they go."

He urged parents with children staying home to keep them away from roadways and sidewalks, and recommended to anyone driving that they take a blanket and a fully charged cell phone with them.

This story was posted at 4:45 a.m. and updated with new information at 5:45 a.m., 6:30 a.m., 7:14 a.m., 9:53 a.m., 10:31 a.m., 10:48 a.m., 12:06 p.m., 12:17 p.m., 5:36 p.m. and 6:22 p.m. Thanks to reader Steve for recommending we use a word other than inclement to describe the weather. You're right.