The first snowstorm of 2018 has brought heavy amounts of snow and strong winds to much of Connecticut Thursday.
Most of the state received around a foot of snow. Snowfall began in the early morning and continued into the night.
Nonessential state employees were directed to not report to work and schools across the state were closed for the day. Some districts announced closures on Friday too.
But Governor Dannel Malloy did not issue a highway travel ban.
"What you don’t want to do on an interstate highway is to cause a backup into another state that would endanger folks in that state and quite frankly prevent emergency vehicles from getting in and out of our own state," Malloy said.
#CTtraffic: Stay off roads if you can. If you must go out, reduce speed & give DOT/town plows plenty of space. If veh becomes disabled or in a crash pull as far right as possible, turn on hazard lights & call 911.
— CT State Police (@CT_STATE_POLICE) January 4, 2018
Pictured: Rte 2 Marlborough minor injury crash. No passengers. pic.twitter.com/Zi97FwnQqI
Bradley International Airport is open, and as of Thursday afternoon, said approximately 75 percent of flights were canceled.
Snow wasn't the only threat. Officials warned of strong winds that could down tree limbs and cause power outages.
“This could turn from a minor event for most of the state to a major event for most of the state,” Malloy said Wednesday evening. “But clearly, the winds are going to be a factor.”
Malloy warned shoreline residents, particularly in eastern Connecticut, that they might be without power for an extended period of time. The bucket trucks used by utility workers cannot be safely used in strong winds.
"It would be unfair to expect that anyone would go up in a bucket truck in a life-endangering situation," Malloy said at a media briefing Thursday morning.
WNPR’s Frankie Graziano, Lori Mack, and Jeff Cohen contributed to this report.
