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Gov. Malloy Says Connecticut Is Ready For Snow But Worries About Cold

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. — The first winter storm of 2014 is predicted to dump between 6 and 10 inches of snow across Fairfield County and Connecticut. But it’s not the snowfall that has Gov. Dannel Malloy worried—it’s the cold.

Gov. Dannel Malloy monitors the impending snowstorm from the state Emergency Operations Center in Hartford.

Gov. Dannel Malloy monitors the impending snowstorm from the state Emergency Operations Center in Hartford.

Photo Credit: Twitter

Temperatures across Fairfield County are expected to plummet into the teens and even single digits Thursday night into Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Wind chills of -5 to -10 degrees will make it feel even colder.

Friday night is predicted to be the coldest, with temperatures ranging from -1 along the coast and -11 in the northern part of the county.

“We have not seen the kind of cold weather that we’re going to see in the next couple days in as many as 15 to 18 years,” Malloy said during a Thursday evening press conference. “It was 2004 the last time we had 0 degree temperatures, so people are not used to this cold.”

The frigid cold temperatures have Malloy particularly worried about the state’s homeless population. Early Thursday, he said crews traveled throughout cities and towns, urging homeless individuals to stay at shelters. (To read more about what shelters across the county are doing, click here.)

Aside from the cold, the storm is forecast to bring between 6 and 10 inches snow. Snowfall is expected to begin Thursday night and end early Friday afternoon.  A winter storm warning is in effect for Fairfield County until 1 p.m. Friday.

The snow itself, said Malloy, is nothing the state can't handle. The state Department of Transportation has a total of 632 plow trucks at the ready. As of 7 p.m., he said the state was bringing in an additional 200 trucks, all contractors, to help.

“This is a winter storm, the likes of which we are quite familiar with,” said Malloy. “I have little doubt that we can keep the roads relatively clear throughout this storm.”

Residents, however, are encouraged to stay off the roads Thursday night.

“Once you get home, stay at home,” said Malloy. “If you don’t need to be on any of our highways, please don’t be on our highways.”

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