Norwalk Got 22 Inches on the Books - Share Photos Here! [Storm Hub]

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Updated Saturday, Feb. 9, 5:30 p.m.

Evening status report from the city:

The city remains in a snow emergency status.

Parked vehicles must be removed from roadways marked “Snow Emergency Route.” In general, residents are asked to remove parked cars from all public roadways to permit plowing.

Parked vehicles preventing snow plows from proceeding are being towed.

Cars can be put in the Maritime Yards and Yankee Doodle parking structures for free for the remainder of the snow emergency.

Norwalk residents are advised to use extreme caution if they need to drive this evening.

Extreme cold is expected overnight. Residents are asked to check on elderly or infirm relatives and neighbors to ensure they are safe.

Snow removal continues in Norwalk. Public Works personnel have been on duty since early Friday morning and plowing operations have been continuous.

All roads are expected to be passable by 8 p.m. this evening, and school parking lots are expected to be cleared by 4 a.m. Sunday.

Twenty-eight plow trucks are deployed in 26 defined “snow plow routes” covering 625 miles of city roads. Snow stopped this morning at around 7 a.m. and by noon all main roads were pushed back to the curb and salted.

DPW has applied approximately 600 tons of salt and 1,000 tons of liquid salt brine to streets. City-owned sidewalks are being cleared by hand and two pieces of removal equipment.

Customer Service has been open since 8 a.m. and has fielded around 150 calls and e-mails. Contact: www.norwalkct.org or (203) 854-3200.

Norwalk Transit plans to operate bus shuttles Sunday serving South Norwalk, Route 7 (Main Avenue) and Connecticut Avenue.

All Norwalk Public Libraries are expected to open Monday morning.

Business owners and residents are reminded of the responsibility to clear sidewalks in front of homes and businesses. Residents are also asked to clear access to fire hydrants.

Report downed wires or power outages directly to Connecticut Light and Power by calling (800) 286-2000 or go to www.cl-p.com.

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Updated, Saturday, Feb. 9, 1:30 p.m.

For the curious, here are the snow totals for all the Fairfield County towns. Norwalk is listed as getting 22 inches of snow. My arms feel like Norwalk got 8 feet of snow after all that shoveling. From wunderground.com:

 Fairfield 35.0 1000 am 2/09 public
 Stratford 32.0 1020 am 2/09 public
 Monroe 30.0 900 am 2/09 Skywarn spotter
 Bridgeport 30.0 658 am 2/09 coop observer
 Shelton 26.5 700 am 2/09 public
 Weston 26.5 800 am 2/09 Skywarn spotter
 Westport 24.5 645 am 2/09 public
 Darien 22.1 500 am 2/09 public
 Norwalk 22.0 730 am 2/09 public
 Roxbury 22.0 800 am 2/09 Skywarn spotter
 New Canaan 22.0 600 am 2/09 CT dot
 Danbury 20.5 600 am 2/09 CT dot
 Stamford 19.0 1100 am 2/09 public
 Newtown 17.1 1000 am 2/09 public
 Bethel 16.0 800 am 2/09 Skywarn spotter
 Greenwich 15.5 315 am 2/09 public
 Ridgefield 12.0 800 am 2/09 public

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Update, Saturday, Feb. 9, 9:30 a.m.

A snow emergency remains in effect in Norwalk. There is a statewide travel ban on all Connecticut roads, except for emergency response and recovery vehicles with the capacity to maneuver in heavy snow.

Barring unforeseen difficulties, the city says all roads are projected to be plowed by 7 p.m. this evening. Residents are asked to be patient as Public Works crews make every effort to clear all roads.

Customer Service is co-locating at the Public Works center and will continue to be staffed as needed. Contact: www.norwalkct.org or (203) 854-3200.

The city’s Transfer Station on Crescent St. is closed.

Norwalk libraries are closed.

Report downed wires or power outages directly to Connecticut Light and Power by calling 800-286-2000 or go to www.cl-p.com.

Service on Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line is suspended.

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Update, Friday, Feb. 8, 2:15 p.m.

All CT buses will be shutting down at 4 p.m. and completely off the roads by 6 p.m. Approximately 400 line workers are staffed from in-state, according to CL&P, and hundreds have been brought in from outside areas to assist. More are expected tomorrow, CL&P said.

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Update, Friday, Feb. 8, 6:07 a.m.

Norwalk Public Schools are closed on Friday due to the impending blizzard according to its Web site. The Central Office and School Offices, however, will remain open.

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Update, Friday, Feb. 8, 2:21 a.m.

A coastal flood warning was issued by the National Weather Service. The warning is in effect from 6 p.m. Friday to midnight Saturday.

The NWS warns residents of the potential for flooded basements and widespread flooding of vulnerable shore roads.

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Update, Thursday, Feb. 7, 11:34 p.m.

Norwalk city officials releaed the following information Thursday evening in preparation for winter storm Nemo, set to roll into the area Friday night and bringing with it up to two feet of snow.

Officials said cooperation from citizens in the city would be paramount in maintaining the safest atmosphere possible, and included the following requests:

• Staying off the roads if at all possible.
• Remove vehicles from the street. If a snow emergency is declared, vehicle owners parked on Emergency Response Routes may be ticketed and towed.
• Clear snow and ice from sidewalks and footpaths that adjoin your property and clear fire hydrants as soon as possible.
• Drivers must make sure their vision is not impaired by ice or snow and snow must be removed from roofs etc. so it does not slide off and impact or impair other operators.
• DO NOT shovel or plow snow into the street after the DPW snow plow has begun clearing the street.
• Remove soccer goals, basketball hoops and other such items from the sides of the streets.
• If you have a true medical emergency, contact 911 for assistance, otherwise refrain from calling Police, Fire, Public Works or Customer Service to find out when your street will be plowed. Such calls detract from management’s attention to the task at hand. Crews are working diligently with available resources to clear all City streets as quickly as possible.

Officials said snow clean up usually takes anywhere from 16 to 24 hours following the end of a snowstorm.

They also issued the following safety tips to keep in mind while dealing with the inconveniences of a snow storm.

• Create a disaster supplies kit and a disaster plan — Get together lifesaving items in both your home and vehicle. Create a disaster plan for all hazards that will help your family stay connected during emergencies.
• Be careful with candles — Do not use candles for lighting if the power goes out. Use flashlights only.
• Prevent frozen pipes — When the weather is very cold outside, open cabinet doors to let warm air circulate around water pipes. Let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe - even at a trickle - helps prevent pipes from freezing because the temperature of the water running through it is above freezing. Keep the thermostat set to a consistent temperature.
• Give space heaters space—Keep fixed and portable space heaters at least three feet from anything that can burn. Turn off heaters when you leave the room or go to sleep. Do not use stoves and ovens to heat your
  residence.
• Check smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors — Make sure alarms and CO detectors are working properly and replace batteries as necessary.
• Don’t drive unless it's necessary during a winter storm. Stay home during the height of the snowfall for your own safety and to make it easier for snowplows a chance to clear streets.
• Maintain at least a half tank of gas in your vehicle during the winter season and keep an emergency supply kit in your car.
• Dress for the Weather- Wear several layers of loose fitting, lightweight, warm clothing rather than one layer of heavy clothing. The outer garments should be tightly woven and water repellent. Wear mittens, which are warmer than gloves. Wear a hat. Cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs.

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Thursday, Feb. 7, early afternoon

If you're not aware of the coming winter weather, then let the items outside of Ring's End hardware on Westport Avenue in Norwalk serve as an augur of what's to come.

Snow shovels, salt and industrial ice melt are stacked neatly under the business' front awning.

A Friday storm is expected to barrel through the area Friday, bringing heavy snow in the early afternoon, and again after 10 p.m. Residents should expect between six and 10 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

Manager Sal Migliorelli says when a powerful squall comes through the region, Ring's End can sometimes sell out of essentials, like salt and shovels.

"The stuff out front will be gone," he said.

As for prepping, Migliorelli rattled off a list of salient items to pick up before the road become slick.

"Batteries are very important to have. Sand, bottled water."

"And shovels," he added.