Winter Storm Update: Closings and Preparedness Information.

March 14, 2023 By Hartford HealthCare

Updated:
Mar. 14, 1:25pm

A major winter storm will continue to impact the state through Wednesday morning.

LULL IN THE SNOWFALL COMING TO AN END OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. WINTER STORM WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF NORTHERN CONNECTICUT.

A weak area of low pressure is still located over Eastern CT at this time. The main low is now located near Cape Cod. At 11:45 AM radar showed light mixed precipitation falling across most of the state. A rain/snow line is generally running down I-91 with snow to the west. A few bands of moderate wet snow are falling in Western CT. A band of rain still stretches across northeastern CT with wet snow in the NE Hills. Up to 14” of snow has fallen thus far in the NW hills. Eversource and UI are currently reporting 7361 customers without power in the NW hills. Temperatures currently range from the low 30’s in the NW hills up to near 40 F along the southeast coast. Winds are currently gusting to 25 - 35 mph at times along the coast.

This Afternoon: Moderate to heavy wet snow is expected to return and overspread most of the state by 3:00 PM. The heaviest snow is expected in Eastern CT and the NW hills.

Cancelations, Closures, Delayed Openings:

Charlotte Hungerford Hospital

  • Diabetes and Endocrinology - Torrington (The Hungerford Center), 780 Litchfield St., Torrington is closed 03/14/23. Reopening 03/15/23 at 9am.
  • Neurology Torrington, 780 Litchfield Street Suite 3 Torrington is closed 03/14/23. Reopening 03/15/23 at 9am.
  • Center for Professional Development and Education, 126 South Main Street, Torrington is closed 03/14/23. Reopening 03/15/23 at 10am (depending on conditions). All new orientees can complete the live virtual orientation at 8am followed by completion of all Health Stream assignments.
  • Wound and Hyperbaric Medicine, 7 Felicity Lane, Torrington is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23 at 9am.
  • Infectious Disease, 538 Litchfield Street Suite 203, Torrington is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23 at 9am.
  • General Surgery, 538 Litchfield Street Suite 201, Torrington is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23 at 9am.
  • Cardiology, 1215 New Litchfield St., Torrington is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23 at 9am.
  • Pulmonary and Critical Care, 540 Litchfield Street (Turner Coe Builiding), Torrington is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23 at 9am.
  • Thomaston Multispecialty, 76 Watertown Road, Suite 2G, Thomaston, is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23 at 9am.
  • Urology, 538 Litchfield Street, Suite 102/104, Torrington is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23 at 9am.
  • Physical Medicine and Rehabilitaion, 538 Litchfield Street, Suite 103, Torrington is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23 at 9am.
  • Foot Center, 540 Litchfield St., Turner Coe Building, Torrington is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23 at 9am.
  • Ear, Nose and Throat, 540 Litchfield St, Torrington, is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23 at 9am.
  • Medical Oncology and Hematology, 540 Litchfield Street, 6th floor, Torrington, is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23.
  • Infusion Center, 540 Litchfield Street, 6th floor, Torrington, is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23.

Hartford HealthCare

  • Neighborhood Health CareVan, South Church, 277 Main Street, Hartford is canceled 03/14/23. The next visit scheduled at this location is 3/28/2023

Hartford HealthCare Medical Group

  • Breast, 220 Kennedy Drive 2nd floor, Torrington is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23 at 8am.
  • MultiSpecialty, 80 South Main Street Suite 202, Winsted is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23 at 8am.
  • Allergy & Rheumatology, 538 Litchfield St, Suite 101, Torrington is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23 at 8:30am.
  • Litchfield Village Green, PC, 7 Village Green Drive, Litchfield, is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23 at 8am.
  • Litchfield Pediatrics, 481 Bantam Rd, Litchfield, is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23 at 8am.
  • Thomaston, PC, 76 Watertown Rd., Thomston, is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23 at 8am.
  • Torrington, PC, 1000 East Main Street, Torrington, is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23 at 8am.
  • Winsted, PC, 80 South Main Street, Winsted, is closed 03/14/23; Reopening 03/15/23 at 8am.

Hospital of Central Connecticut

  • Colleague Health, 100 Grand Street, New Britain is closed 03/14/23 at 1pm; Reopening 03/15/23 at 7am.

MidState Medical Center

  • Colleague Health, 455 Lewis Avenue, Meriden is closed 03/14/23 at 1pm; Reopening 03/15/23 at 7am.

Here are some safety tips from Hartford HealthCare:

The American Red Cross suggests putting together a supply kit that includes:

  • Water—at least a 3-day supply; one gallon per person per day.
  • Food—at least a 3-day supply of non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food.
  • Flashlight.
  • Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible).
  • Extra batteries.
  • First aid kit.
  • Medications (7-day supply) and medical items (hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, syringes, etc.).
  • Multi-purpose tool.
  • Sanitation and personal hygiene items.
  • Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies).
  • Cell phone with chargers.
  • Family and emergency contact information.
  • Extra cash.
  • Baby supplies (bottles, formula, baby food, diapers).
  • Pet supplies (collar, leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl).
  • Tools/supplies for securing your home.
  • Sand, rock salt or non-clumping kitty litter to make walkways and steps less slippery.
  • Warm coats, gloves or mittens, hats, boots and extra blankets and warm clothing for all household members.
  • Ample alternate heating methods such as fireplaces or wood- or coal-burning stoves.

Safe driving tips from AAA:

  • Never warm up a vehicle in an enclosed area, such as a garage.
  • Make certain your tires are properly inflated.
  • Keep your gas tank at least half full to avoid gas line freeze-up.
  • If possible, avoid using your parking brake in cold, snowy weather.
  • Do not use cruise control when driving on any slippery surface (wet, ice, sand).
  • Always look and steer where you want to go.
  • Use your seat belt every time you get into your vehicle.
  • Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Applying the gas slowly to accelerate is the best method for regaining traction and avoiding skids. Don’t try to get moving in a hurry. And take time to slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads.
  • Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on snow-covered roads. Accelerating, stopping, turning – nothing happens as quickly as on dry pavement. Give yourself time to maneuver by driving slowly.
  • The normal dry pavement following distance of three to four seconds should be increased to eight to ten seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.
  • Know your brakes. Whether you have antilock brakes or not, the best way to stop is threshold breaking. Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.
  • Don’t stop if you can avoid it. There’s a big difference in the amount of inertia it takes to start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it.
  • Don’t power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads just starts your wheels spinning. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill as slowly as possible.
  • Don’t stop going up a hill. There’s nothing worse than trying to get moving up a hill on an icy road. Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill.

Snow blower safety:

  • Never stick your hands in the snow blower! If snow jams the snow blower, stop the engine and wait more than 5 seconds. Use a solid object to clear wet snow or debris from the chute. Beware of the recoil of the motor and blades after the machine has been turned off.
  • Never leave a running snow blower unattended.
  • Add fuel only before starting the snow blower.
  • Never add fuel in an enclosed space.
  • The engine can become very hot. Avoid burns by never touching the area near the engine.
  • Use the pull-cord safely. Sharply pulling a stuck pull-cord may cause injury to your upper body or back.
  • If you are operating an electric snow blower, be aware of the power cord at all times. If the cord becomes caught in the machine and is severed or comes in contact with the engine and burns, you could receive a shock or more serious injury.
  • Keep children far away from snow blowers.

Safe shoveling: