Wfsb: Lamont urges Connecticut to prepare as blizzard warnings take effect
wfsb: Governor Ned Lamont is urging Connecticut residents to prepare for the potential of blizzard conditions beginning Sunday night, February 22, 2026, and continuing into Monday, February 23, 2026, as forecasts call for heavy snow and very strong gusts that could make travel extremely dangerous.
wfsb: Warnings cover coast to north from 6: 00 a. m. Sunday to 6: 00 p. m. Monday
State officials have put a patchwork of alerts in place: Winter Storm Watches for northern Connecticut, Winter Storm Warnings for southern Connecticut, and Blizzard Warnings along the coast, all set to begin at 6: 00 a. m. on Sunday and remain in effect until 6: 00 p. m. on Monday. Forecast guidance in the state brief shows the southern half of Connecticut could receive between 16 and 22 inches of snow, while the northern half is projected to see between 10 and 16 inches, with some models predicting even higher accumulations.
Strong winds, outages and travel bans change the picture for Monday
Officials flagged wind as a particular danger: gusts are expected to exceed 50 miles per hour at times, and the National Weather Service definition of a blizzard — winds over 35 miles per hour for at least three hours and visibilities frequently less than a quarter mile — has been cited as the threshold planners are watching. The governor declared a state of emergency and issued a ban on commercial vehicles from Connecticut highways for the duration of the storm, and many schools, state offices and courts have been closed.
Damaging winds and heavy snow have already driven outages and rapid accumulation in nearby regions; early Monday reports show parts of the region approaching a foot of snow, with localized higher amounts. That combination of heavy snow and high gusts is raising concerns about power outages across the state.
State response: EOC activation and plows on standby
To coordinate the response, the governor ordered a partial, in-person activation of the Connecticut Emergency Operations Center beginning at 5: 00 p. m. on Sunday (ET). The partial activation brings together partners from several primary state agencies to monitor conditions and respond as needs arise, with a full activation possible if the situation requires additional agency participation.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation has staged more than 600 snowplows and specialized pieces of equipment for statewide deployment, and crews stand ready to work around the clock as necessary to clear roads and restore safe travel. State officials are urging motorists to plan ahead and avoid travel during the height of the storm, and to use extreme caution if travel is unavoidable.
Governor Lamont emphasized the sudden shift in the forecast and the particular danger posed by high wind gusts, urging residents to plan ahead and stay off the roads on Sunday night and through at least Monday morning. Moderate coastal flooding is also expected at times of high tide along parts of the shoreline.
For the immediate future, the confirmed next steps are the partial activation of the Connecticut Emergency Operations Center at 5: 00 p. m. on Sunday and the period of warnings that runs from 6: 00 a. m. Sunday through 6: 00 p. m. Monday. State leaders said they will continue to monitor the forecast and provide updates as conditions evolve.
