West Hartford’s Department of Public Works has issued a parking ban that begins at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22, and will remain in effect until further notice. [Update: Trash and recycling pick-up will be delayed.]

By Ronni Newton

Winter is not over yet, and West Hartford is bracing for another sizable snowfall with flakes beginning to fly Sunday afternoon and heavy snow falling Sunday evening, overnight, and through the day Monday.

The Town of West Hartford’s snow emergency parking ban will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, and will remain in effect until further notice. “Please make a plan now to park your vehicle off the road,” Director of Public Works John Phillips said Saturday.

According to the National Weather Service, a Winter Storm Warning takes effect beginning at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22, and will last through 7 a.m. Tuesday.

The National Weather Service forecast is for 10 to 18 inches of snow – or more – to accumulate during this storm. While the temperatures are expected to fall to 27ºF Sunday night, a more significant factor with this storm will be the wind, forecast at 17 to 22 mph from the northeast overnight Sunday, with gusts as high as 39 mph. North winds of 18 to 24 mph are expected on Monday, with gusts up to 44 mph. Areas to the south and east are under a Blizzard Warning, with as much as 2 feet of snow and winds of 60 mph possible.

Parking ban

The parking ban will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, and will be in effect until further notice.

“During a Parking Ban, no on-street parking is allowed so that Public Works crews can remove snow from curb to curb. Cars left on the road create a safety hazard for all concerned. The owner will be fined, and the vehicle may be towed.” the town stated in an announcement.

The Blue Light Parking Ban Notification System, installed recently along Farmington Avenue, from Trout Brook Drive to the Hartford town line, will flash blue to indicate when a parking ban is in effect. The blue lights are located on traffic control mast arms at key signalized intersections.

Public Works, in coordination with the West Hartford Police Department, will strictly enforce the parking ban “to ensure a safe and efficient transportation system for vehicles and pedestrians during snow removal operations.”

Residents are urged to plan ahead to identify alternate, off-street parking locations and to take the parking ban seriously.

Municipal lots and garages are available for use, as are public school lots – as a last resort – if schools are not in session. While there is no official announcement about a snow day on Monday, it’s highly likely based on the forecast.

According to Phillips, even if schools are closed on Monday, cars that are parked in school lots must be removed by 10 p.m. Monday night even if the townwide parking ban is still in effect. “It will take us most of the night to prepare schools lots for a Tuesday opening,” he said.

Pay-to-park fees will apply at municipal center parking lots and garages. Motorists may register their plates using one of the kiosks inside the garage or a mobile app (e.g., the Flowbird app or the PassportParking app).

Those who park in school or outdoor municipal lots are asked to park close together and not leave parking spaces between vehicles to ensure plow driver can clear the snow most efficiently.

“We sincerely appreciate your understanding and cooperation. Your partnership helps us serve the entire community more effectively and safely during and after the storm. Thank you for doing your part,” the town’s announcement of the parking ban states.

Enforcement

The community is asked to comply with the parking ban, and West Hartford Police will proactively assist the Department of Public Works in ensuring that the roads are clear of illegally parked vehicles. The town said that cars in violation of the parking ban will be ticketed and towed.

Snow removal contractors are reminded not to push snow from driveways and private parking lots into the street.

Sidewalks

Per town ordinance, West Hartford property owners are responsible for removing snow and ice from the sidewalk along their property line within 12 hours after the storm or by sunrise – whichever is later. Residents are required to keep sidewalks clear of snow and ice.

It’s particularly important to keep heavily-used sidewalks – those near schools, public buildings, and commercial areas – free and clear. Snow clearing violations should be reported to the West Hartford Police Department at 860-523-5203.

Trash Collection [Updated]

Trash and recycling collection NOT take place on Monday, Feb. 23, the town has advised.

The collection will be delayed by one day. Monday’s area will be picked up on Tuesday, and Tuesday’s area on Wednesday, and so forth. Residents in the Monday collection area should place barrels at the curb by 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

Hydrants

Residents are also asked to help out the West Hartford Fire Department and keep the community safe by shoveling a 3-foot radius area around fire hydrants. There are 1,500 fire hydrants in town.

Alerts

Those who are registered with the town to receive alerts have already been notified about the parking ban through Everbridge, which sends automated messages by phone, text, and email. In order to be included in the automated messaging of critical information, sign up here to receive alerts about emergencies and other important community news through West Hartford’s Community Advisory Notification System.

Check out the Ready.gov website on how to prepare for winter storms.

Check back regularly with We-Ha.com for any updates and storm-related news.

Connecticut Emergency Operations Center

In preparation for the storm, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Saturday that an in-person, partial activation of the Connecticut Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will begin at 5 p.m. on Sunday “to monitor conditions and quickly respond to any needs that arise.”

The EOC in Hartford will act as the state’s central emergency management hub for leaders from various agencies to coordinate information, resources, and strategies. According to an announcement from the governor’s office, the five regional emergency management offices throughout the state will also be partially activated on Sunday afternoon.

“The Connecticut Department of Transportation has more than 600 snowplows and specialized equipment ready for deployment statewide. Crews will work around the clock as needed to clear snow and ice and restore safe travel conditions,” the announcement stated.

Anyone who needs to drive during the storm is asked to utilize extreme caution and provide plenty of space to plows.

Resources provided by the state:

• For more information about winter driving safety and snowplow awareness, visit nhtsa.gov/winter-driving-tips.
• For updates on incidents that may be impacting state roads, visit CTtroads.org.
• For those who utilize public transportation, visit the transit operator’s website for updates on any potential delays or cancellations.
• To subscribe to emergency alerts through the state’s CT Alert notification system, visit ct.gov/ctalert.
• For emergency management news and resources, visit the state’s CTPrepares website at ct.gov/ctprepares.

Eversource

Crews and equipment are being prepositioned, “and hundreds of line and tree crews at its work centers around the state to respond to any damage or outages caused by this storm. Eversource is also bringing in additional crews to assist with restoring power to customers, if needed,” the energy company said in a news release Saturday.

“We’ve been monitoring this storm and its rapidly changing path over the last several days using various weather services and we continue to closely watch it so we can prepare accordingly,” said Eversource President of Electric Operations in Connecticut Steve Sullivan in a statement. “While the track of this storm has been wobbling, making it tough to predict its impacts, its path is more certain now and the high winds forecasted, coupled with the snow amounts and heavier snow consistency than we’ve seen in recent storms – this has the potential to bring down trees and branches onto electric lines and equipment, causing damage and power outages. Our line and tree crews around the state are ready to respond as quickly and safely as possible to whatever this storm brings, but the hazardous weather will make travel and work conditions challenging for our crews, so response times will likely be impacted.”

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