First Selectman Pat Llodra issued a statement warning residents of the possibility of a major winter storm coming into the area Saturday afternoon and night, bringing with it heavy wet snow that may knock down tree limbs and cause outages.
"Residents should be prepared for possible power outages," she said in the release. "Preparations should include batteries, flashlights, battery operated radio, non-perishable food items, and any specific needs that are unique to the individual family members and pets. Residents should seriously consider staying off the roadways unless necessary later Sunday."
If conditions are severe, a Code Red notification will be made to residents. Anyone needing assistance, can call the dispatch center at 203-270-4200.
The state also will open an operations center in Hartford at 2 p.m., Saturday with staff from the departments of Emergency Services and Public Protection, Transportation, Military, Public Health, Energy and Environmental Protection and representatives from utility copanies monitoring the storm.
The season's first snowstorm, one which could bring 4 to 10 inches of snow to Newtown and surrounding areas, is expected to arrive Saturday, starting first as rain and then changing over to snow and blustery conditions, the National Weather Service said.
"If this were a month or two later, in the dead of the winter, it would be a significant snow storm," Dan Hofmann of the Upton, N.Y.-based weather service said. "You are going to be starting as rain, probably Saturday morning to early Saturday noon, change over to snow as you get late into the afternoon, into the evening. It's going to be breezy, north at 20 miles per hour."
Having a snow storm in October is "pretty rare," Hofmann said, and because the air and ground are still relatively warm, the snow won't have as much of a chance to build up. Still, up to 10 inches may be possible.
The storm is coming up from the south and move out of our area, tracking northeast to south of Nova Scotia by Sunday morning, the weather service said.
A winter storm watch has been issued.
As of 8 a.m. Friday, the Second Annual Great Pumpkin Race remains still on, and Walter Schweikert, with the Newtown Lions Club organizing it, said the group will wait to make the call.
"The weatherman is wrong more often than not," he said.
The event is scheduled to start at 11 a.m., Saturday but if it is raining and forecasted to start snowing later, organizers will call off the race. However, the drawing for the 1964 Mustang will go off at 1 p.m., rain, shine or snow, Schweikert said.
"The state requires us to hold the drawing," he said.
Editor's note: This article has been updated since it was originally published with a statement from the first selectman and additional information from state officials.
