UPDATED: Gales Ferry FD Will Shuttle Elderly to Stonington Shelter

Updated 3:44 p.m.

Gov. Malloy will lift the travel ban at 4 p.m.

Updated Saturday, 1:24 p.m.

Mayoral Assistant Mark Bancraft said that CL&P crews are making repairs to various circuits around town, which is a good sign. According to the power company's website, 1,461 of Ledyard customers are without power.

The Red Cross opened a shelter in Stonington High School and Bancroft said that elderly residents should call the Gales Ferry Volunteer Fire Company for a shuttle to Stonington. People should be prepared to provide their own bedding and toiletries.

The Town is adhering to the governor's travel ban and asking residents to stay off the roads until the ban is lifted.

"Let us get our crews out there an clean the roads as best we can," he said.

Also, there are a couple sections in town that are impassable, he said. Lantern Hill Road by the Stonington Town Line is closed off and so is the north section of Shewville Road. Several other roads have lines and trees down.

Updated Saturday 11:08 a.m.

People should just stay home and dig themselves out of this mess, said Mayoral Assistant Mark Bancroft.

"The roads are terrible," he said. "All of the roads are plowed, some are better than others."

Bancroft said two trucks broke last night and the crews didn't take a break all night. Public works crews continue to plow but traffic and vehicle accidents will make it that much hard.

"The Town is following the state's lead," he said about the travel ban initiated by Gov. Dannel Malloy early Saturday morning. "We are requesting residents to please stay off the roads."

According to the CL&P website, 1,453 Ledyard customers are without power. Bancroft said residents can warm up at The Gales Ferry Volunteer Fire Company and the Ledyard Fire Company today.

But, temeratures are expected to drop tonight to 8-degrees, according to the National Weather Service. 

Red Cross Officials clearing way at Stonington High School for an emergency shelter they hope to have open by noon. However, the town is encouraging people to shelter in place, the shelter is only for individuals in dire situations. If you have an emergency you should call 911. People should be prepared to bring their own bedding and toiletries.

Updated Saturday 9:47 a.m.

Gov. Dannel Malloy has prohibited all traffic on roads (including in Ledyard) with the excpetion of emergency workers. Ledyard Police reiterated the declaration on its Facebook page. 

The CL&P website is reporting 21 percent, or 1,423, Ledyard customers are without power. If you haven't already, please call 1-800-286-2000 if/when you experience a power outage.

Updated Friday 7:38 p.m.

The CL&P website is reporting that two percent, or 175, customers in Ledyard are without power. Call 1-800-286-2000 if you experience a power outage.

Mitch Gross, CL&P's spokesman has cautioned that crews will not be able to restore power during the storm or when the winds are high because of the dangers that could create.

"Our line workers and tree workers will be out there as long as it's safe," he added.

In a press release Friday afternoon Connecticut Light & Power said they are pre-staging employees and materials in locations across the state, and that in addition to CL&P’s approximately 400 line workers, hundreds of outside line workers are arriving to provide assistance, with hundreds more expected tomorrow.

Updated Friday 10:50 a.m.

Town officials are advising individuals who need heat and power to visit the Gales Ferry Volunteer Fire Company or the Ledyard Fire Company. At the moment, there are no plans to open the regional emergency shelter in Groton.

Updated Friday 8:44 a.m.

Sean McGuckin, director of Emergency Management in Ledyard, delivered what he called “good news” to the storm team gathered early Friday morning.

He said that the rainy mix wouldn’t last as long as previously expected and that we should expect about two feet of snow before Saturday.

“That’s manageable,” said Steve Maslin, the director of public works. “The big problem is the wind and drifting.”

With that news, Mayoral Assistant Mark Bancroft said that town facilities will close at noon today, including the libraries and the senior center. He said people who receive Meals on Wheels will be given meals for Friday, Saturday and Monday today.

And, Linda Davis wanted to remind residents that “CL&P won’t know your power is out unless you tell them.” You can reach them by phone at1-800-286-2000 and online at their storm center website.

The town is ready. Ledyard Ambulance is fully staffed through Saturday, Police and emergency dispatch are fully staffed through Saturday and Public Works Department has called in more staff to handle the storm and assist emergency vehicles through snowy roads.

That said, cars should be off the roads. Police were asked to begin patrolling now for cars on the road; they will knock on your door, ticket or tow your car if it’s on the street.

If street side cars aren’t towed it will likely be buried under two-feet of snow and any snow the plow trucks may discharge while driving by.

Maslin said work crews will concentrate on main roads, bid snow drifts and keeping the emergency service parking lots open.

Updated Thursday, 5 p.m.

Ledyard Public Schools will be closed Friday Feb. 8 and there will be no after-school activities or programs through the weekend.

Updated Thursday, 4:30 p.m.

The National Weather Service upgraded the Blizzard Watch to a Blizzard Warning from 6 p.m. Friday to 1 p.m. Saturday.

The agency said, "Heavy snow and winds  make for dangerous driving conditions with visibilitys near zero in white-out conditions. In addition...some tree limbs will be downed...causing scattered power outages."

Updated Thursday, 12:08 p.m.

Town officials met Thursday morning in anticipation of the impending blizzard, which is forecast to drop 12 to 18 inches in Ledyard and northern New London County beginning Friday and continuing through the night into Saturday.

Director of Public Works Steve Maslin issued a snow emergency which initiates a parking ban starting at 6 a.m. Friday. The ban prohibits people from parking their cars on the street and allows snow plows to more effectively clear the roads.

"We're just kicking the machine into gear," sad Director of Emergency Management Sean McGuckin. "We're not at full speed yet."

McGuckin asked all departments to begin to fuel up and recharge in advance of the storm. He said that some town employees will probably leave early Friday while others may have to plan on a long night.

According to McGuckin's sources, the latest weather forecasts approximately 19.7 inches of snow for Ledyard. He said he expects a blizzard which is "sustained periods with heavy snowfall and three to four hours of wind reaching 30 MPH with gusts around 50-70 MPH."

McGuckin wasn't certain if Ledyard would get a lot of rain prior to the snow, which could amount to a "worst case scenario" if it coated the trees with ice and created an icy foundation under the snow.

Right now there are no intentions to open shelters in the area, according to McGuckin and Groton's intention is to wait and see but shelters will be open in the event of sustained power outages.

Town Hall will begin with regular hours and will likely close early, according to Mayoral Assistant Mark Bancroft. By extension, the libraries may also close early and remain closed until Monday.

With regard to shelters and so forth, no decision have been made. Ledyard Ambulance and public works are prepared to work together in the event of an emergency.

"The intent would be to hunker down for the night and we'll react from there," sad McGuckin.

• All of Ledyard Public Schools are cancelled for Friday.
• The transfer station will be closed Saturday, open Sunday.
• The Senior Center is normally closed and will remain closed.
• Parks and Recreation programs are cancelled from Friday through Sunday.
• Any decisions regarding other public facilities like Town Hall and the libraries will be made Friday morning.

Updated Thursday at 10:28 a.m.

The following postponements were submitted by LHS Athletic Director James Buonocore:

The fencing match with Fitch and Bacon originally scheduled for Saturday morning at LHS at 9am will now be held on Tuesday 2/12 at 6:30pm at LHS in the main gymnasium.   The girls basketball game originally scheduled for Friday at East Lyme will now be held on Tuesday 2/12. Freshman at 3:45pm, JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 7pm. All games are at East Lyme.

Originally published story:

Ledyard officials are meeting at 11 a.m. today to discuss the Town's preparedness and procedures for the impending storm.

Notwithstanding the Town of Ledyard's plans, you know the drill.

Make sure you have candles, flashlights, a battery-operated radio and cell phones because you might lose electricity and phone service for a few days.

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard watch for Ledyard as a powerful winter storm is expected to affect the region starting Thursday night and lasting well into Saturday morning.

The blizzard watch will be effect from Friday afternoon and continue through to Saturday afternoon.

The storm system is expected to bring with it heavy snow, sleet and damaging winds — with gusts blowing up in excess of 60 miles per hour.

And is expected to deliver some 12 to 18 inches of snow right here in Ledyard, as well as possible traces of ice.

The high winds and heavy snow is expected to make for at times white out conditions, with visibility reduced to less than a quarter of a mile.

"The heavy snow will make for dangers driving conditions," the weather service meteorologists report in their alert. "In addition, the heavy snow and strong winds will result in blizzard conditions, bringing down some tree limbs and causing scattered power outages."

A winter storm watch that had been issued earlier this week has now been cancelled, with the blizzard watch issued in its place.

Stay tuned for more updates as the storm approaches.

Post closings and openings here and keep your friends and neighbors updated.