As overnight temperatures plummeted, the state and town issued a winter weather alert to anyone caught outside without shelter.
East Hartford Mayor Mike Walsh reminded residents in need that they can warm up in an emergency inside the lobby of the Public Safety Complex, 31 School St. which is open 24 hours, 7 days a week. More limited hours for sheltering from the cold are inside the Raymond Library, 840 Main Street, open Monday & Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday until 8 and Saturday, 10 to 2, and Sundays 1 to 5 p.m. The town’s new East Hartford Senior Center, 15 Milbrook Drive, is open from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Per town policy, masks should be worn while indoors in a town building.
Mayor Mike also suggested taking precautions in the cold. The elderly, infants and children are particularly vulnerable in extreme cold weather. Dress in layers, limit time outdoors, and be aware of signs of hypothermia: Shivering, slow, shallow breathing, confusion and memory loss, drowsiness or exhaustion, slurred or mumbled speech, loss of coordination, fumbling hands, stumbling steps, a slow, weak pulse. In severe hypothermia, a person may be unconscious without obvious signs of breathing or a pulse. If you notice any or all of these signs, call 911.
Frostbite can occur in just 10 minutes, so cover exposed skin. In your home, check and protect water pipes to prevent freezing. Open cabinet doors under the sink. Don’t use an oven, and never use a charcoal grill indoors for heat as carbon dioxide kills.
And remember to bring your pets inside, check on neighbors, friends, family and the elderly.
Stay warm, advises Mayor Mike.
Also according to Accuweather Tuesday, a major snowstorm could impact the region Sunday into Monday. The AccuWeather Global Weather Center said “a winter storm is expected to dive southeastward from central Canada through the Midwest and to the Middle Atlantic coast Friday through Sunday night.”
Along the cold side of the storm track there is the potential for significant snow and ice from the Upper Midwest to the southern states and then up the eastern seaboard. As of Tuesday, however, they noted “at this early stage there is still high uncertainty with the eventual track, which will be critical to the placement of the steadiest snow.”
By the time the system reacts the East Coast on Sunday there is the possibility for rapid strengthening over the warmer waters of the Atlantic Sunday night into Monday. If the storm tracks close enough to the coast there is the potential for heavy snow and mixed precipitation from the Middle Atlantic to the Northeast Sunday into Monday. In addition, if the storm strengthens as anticipated there will likely be strong winds, especially along the coast, said the forecast.
“If the storm tracks farther to the north and west, then there may be a change to heavy rain along the East Coast, with heavy snow back to the Appalachians. If the storm ends up weaker and a little more offshore the highest accumulations may be closer to the Middle Atlantic coastal region with much less snow across the interior Northeast.”
This storm has the potential to cause widespread, major travel disruptions. Any potential travelers during the period should closely monitor the progress of this storm. Check the Gazette’s weather map (on the right) for an active indicator of winds and snow projections.
