Community Corner

[Updated 5:40 p.m. Saturday] Windsor Locks, East Windsor Storm Hub: CT Travel Ban Lifted, Church Services Canceled

Statewide travel ban lifted as of 4 p.m. Saturday. Several local businesses remain closed on Saturday. Some church services being canceled or the faithful are being excused from attending for safety reasons.

[Update 5:40 p.m.] East Windsor Dispatcher Lorelei Grounds said that the roads in town "are still iffy."

Route 140 has been plowed, Grounds said, but efforts to keep the road cleared have been hampered by the snow drifting.

The town continues with its efforts to clear the snow from the town's secondary roads, though it could be well into the day Sunday, Grounds said.

Find out what's happening in Windsor Locks-East Windsorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Update 3:20 p.m.

The travel ban has been lifted... well, as of 4 p.m. it will be.

Find out what's happening in Windsor Locks-East Windsorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This just in from Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's office:

Governor Malloy today announced that the travel ban will be lifted at 4PM. This will apply to all roads, including limited access highways.

"While we are lifting the ban on travel this afternoon at 4PM, I still want to urge residents to stay off the roads if at all possible," said Governor Malloy. "Crews are out clearing roadways as we speak, but the fact is we are going to feel the impact of this storm for some time. The longer we can keep traffic out of town centers and off of our highways, the more effective our recovery effort will be."

Even with the roads being reopened, please drive safely.

Update 3 p.m.

Several local businesses did not open today because of the weather and cleanup efforts and some local churches that are canceling services for this evening and tomorrow morning.

The Cornerstone Church of Connecticut in East Windsor announced today that it will have just one service tomorrow to be held at 10 a.m.

The Archdiocese of Hartford released a statement to Catholics today telling them to think of safey first, before venturing out to Mass.

For a list of several businesses who remained closed today, visit the Windsor Locks-East Windsor Facebook page where many are sharing information on their status.

Update 11 a.m.

According to East Windsor police dispatcher Patricia Clynch, the roads in town are virtually impassable and people are advised to stay home. East Windsor is adhering to the governor's order to shut down all roads.

Clynch said that tow trucks cannot get out of their own parking lots.

"Everybody should stay where they are at if they are safe," Clynch said.

During his morning press briefing, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy again reminded people to stay off the state roads, keeping the travel ban in effect for the next several hours.

Original story:

The winter storm has arrived in Windsor Locks and East Windsor.

Winds are picking up and gusts are getting stronger. As of 5:30 a.m. Saturday, the National Weather Service was calling for gusts up to 45 miles per hour and near white-out conditions overnight.

It will be chilly, too, with the temperature dropping into to 20s, with wind chills make it seem as if it were -3ºF, and with heaviest snowfall expected to well into Satuday morning. As o 5:30 a.m., up to 20 inches of snow has fallen in the area, according to the weather service map.

Connecticut Light & Power is reporting just one customer without power in East Windsor and all customers still with electricity in Windsor Locks, with the bulk of the outages in the state concentrated along the shoreline as of 5:30 a.m.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has also reitered his ban on travel along state roads, saying this in an early morning press release:

"It's critical right now that residents stay off the roads, so that our plows can continue their efforts to clear our streets and highways. This is a record setting storm. It's going to take time to dig out of the snow. Stalled or abandoned vehicles will only slow that process. Unless you face an emergency, please stay put."

To help you keep track of all the information posted on the site and distributed by town and state officials over then past 24 hours, Windsor Locks-East Windsor Patch has compiled them all into a neat list that you can use as your personal blizzard reference library:

Important Phone Numbers:

Connecticut Light & Power to report power outages only:
(800) 286-2000
(860) 947-2000

Emergency police/fire/ambulance services: 911

Municipal Information:

East Windsor Blizzard Information page

East Windsor Snow Removal Plan (scroll down to the bottom of the News & Announcements section of the homepage)

East Windsor Emergency Management

Windsor Locks Emergency Management Department

Fun Stories:

How Deep Is Your Snow?

MAP: How Much Snow Has Fallen in Windsor Locks and East Windsor?

Patch's Poll: What's Your Snow Removal Method?

Informative Stories:

CT Department of Construction Warns Homeowners about Damaging Snow Accumulations

Daily 5 Storm Tips for Windsor Locks and East Windsor

Winter Storm Safety for the Pets of Windsor Locks and East Windsor

Winter Storm Damage to Home and Cars: What Policyholders Need to Know

For up to the minute cancellations, follow the Windsor Locks-East Windsor Patch Facebook page and Twitter account.

Informative Blogs:

Don’t Get Caught Unprepared for a Weather Emergency

Tips to Prevent Injury While Shoveling

Travel Advisories:

Bradley International Airport


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