Storm Update From Finch

From Mayor Bill Finch:

An advancing winter storm threatens to bring heavy snow and frigid cold temperatures to Southern Connecticut, with the heaviest snow falling later this evening (Thursday night) into Friday morning. According to the National Weather Service, residents in the Bridgeport area can expect anywhere from 6 to 8 inches of snow to accumulate during the next 18 hours with high wind gusts causing blizzard-like conditions during the height of the storm.

A snow emergency remains in effect throughout the city, and Mayor Bill Finch urged residents to stay off the roads as much as possible during the overnight hours at the height of the storm.

“With as much as 8 inches of snow expected to hit our area, this storm has the potential to be a major weather event. It is critical that all residents comply with the Snow Emergency parking rules to ensure that the City’s roads are cleared as quickly as possible. Please stay off the roads throughout the duration of the storm and allow our crews to work,” said Mayor Finch. “The temperatures could drop dangerously low tonight into tomorrow morning–please check in with your family, friends, and elderly and vulnerable neighbors who may need help.”

Snow Emergency parking rules are currently in effect until further notice. City crews have pre-treated all roads, and Bridgeport Police Department is enforcing the Snow Emergency parking ban to ensure that plows will be able to effectively clear City streets.

During a snow emergency, residents must move their cars off posted Snow Emergency streets or be subject to fines and towing. Alternate-side-of-the-street parking rules are in effect for all other streets throughout the City in order to allow snow plow drivers’ clear passage. To comply with the Snow Emergency Alternate-Side-of-the-Street Parking Rules, residents must move their cars to the ‘even-numbered’ side of the street and remain on the even-numbered side of the street until the odd-numbered side of the street has been cleared. (House numbers ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 constitute the even-numbered side of the street.)

During the storm, residents may use the following school parking lots to move their cars off the street: Cesar Batalla School, 606 Howard Ave.; Central High School, 1 Lincoln Blvd (Madison Avenue entrance); Geraldine Johnson School, 475 Lexington Ave.; Luis Muñoz Marin School, 479 Helen St., and Jettie Tisdale School, 250 Hollister Ave. A full list of Snow Emergency parking areas can be found at the following link: www.bridgeportct.gov/snow-emergency-parking-lots.

Snow Emergency streets are marked with white signs with red lettering. A list of snow streets can be found on the City’s website–www.bridgeportct.gov/snowemergencystreets. No parking is allowed on Snow Emergency streets. Vehicles left on snow emergency streets after the ban goes into effect will be subject to fines and towing.

The Department of Public Works currently has approximately 37 pieces of equipment on the road, and all roads have been pre-treated in advance of the storm. Crews will be working on staggered shifts throughout the night. At this time, the Bridgeport Emergency Operations Center is partially activated and will continue to monitor the storm throughout the evening and into the early morning hours.

All of the City’s Senior Centers: Dwight Eisenhower Center, North End/Bethany Senior Center, Black Rock Senior Center and the East Side Senior Center, will be closed on Friday, Jan. 3.

Residents in need of information regarding shelters should call the state’s 2-1-1 hotline.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Southern Connecticut and most of the Lower Hudson Valley with “heavy snow … strong winds and very cold wind chills expected tonight into Friday afternoon.” National Weather Service is forecasting snow accumulations of 6 to 8 inches.