Four of Norwich’s volunteer fire companies are suing the city over consolidation efforts. Such efforts led to the Yantic Volunteer Fire Department’s suspension earlier this month.

Norwich Fire Chief Samuel Wilson claimed that the Yantic Volunteer Company went around the city’s incident commander. This is why the city told the company Feb. 9 they had to sign a contract and join their fire department by 10 a.m. the following day under a “unified command structure.”

The lawsuit cites an action from August 2025, claiming the city manager issued a memo that “unexpectedly” asserted that the volunteer fire departments are “under the direct leadership and authority of the City of Norwich Fire Chief.” According to the lawsuit, this was “illegal” and outside of the city manager’s authority.

In the lawsuit, Yantic, Occum, Taftville, and Laurel Hill volunteer fire companies cite the city’s own charter, stating that they differ from the city’s paid, career fire department, thereby solidifying their independence from the city’s operations.

East Great Plain is the first, and so far the only, volunteer fire department to sign an agreement to be part of the city’s unified command structure.

You can read more of the lawsuit here.

Major snowstorm grips Connecticut with blizzard-like conditions

Helpful resources:

Eversource on power restoration

3:27 PM: Eversource says their crews are working nonstop to restore power. They say despite the travel and work conditions, crews have been responded to emergency situations and blocked roads. As of 3 p.m., Eversource has restored power to more 24,000 customers. As of 3 p.m., 8,700 customers remain without power as a result of the blizzard.

Fairfield Update

2:45 PM: Mark Sudol reports on how conditions fared during the day in Fairfield.

Stratford Update

2:16 PM: Stratford Mayor David Chess speaks to News 12 on the latest conditions. The town remains in a snow emergency.

Stamford Afternoon Update

2:15 PM: John Craven reports on conditions throughout Stamford.

Milford Afternoon Update

2:08 PM: Greg Thompson reports from Milford, where it remains windy.

Norwalk Afternoon Update

2:05 PM: Marissa Alter provides an update on conditions in Norwalk. She also spoke to the owner of Cafe Aroma, one of the few businesses that decided to open.

Bridgeport Afternoon Update

2 PM: Frank Recchia speaks with Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim about how the city is handling the blizzard.

Car Stuck in Hamden

Hartford Line Trains Canceled

CT Emergency Management Director Update

12:20 PM: Connecticut Emergency Management Director William Turner says Connecticut will remain under a state of emergency until further notice. He says the commercial travel ban remains in effect. The state’s cold weather protocol will also remain in place until at least noon on Tuesday.

Wilton First Selectman provides update

12:15 PM: Wilton First Selectman Toni Boucher spoke to News 12 on how the town is handling the blizzard and her advice for residents.

Norwalk Update

12:18 PM: Marissa Alter reports from the Norwalk Transit Hub.

Stamford Update

12:18 PM: John Craven reports from the Stamford Marriott.

Fairfield Update

12 PM: Mark Sudol gives an update on how people in Fairfield are dealing with the snow.

View from Milford City Hall

11:40 AM: Video from Greg Thompson on conditions in Milford.

Metro-North Update

11:55 AM: Metro-North says they continue to run a reduced schedule Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven lines, including the Wassaic, New Canaan, Danbury, and Waterbury branches.

Update from Lamont

11:30 AM: Gov. Ned Lamont spoke to News 12 earlier today to give an update on the storm. He is asking residents to be patient.

Storm updates in Stamford

11:30 AM: John Craven reports from Stamford on conditions downtown.

Storm updates in Fairfield

11:30 AM: Mark Sudol reports live from Fairfield for an update on the snowy conditions.

Storm updates in Stamford

10:15 AM: John Craven is in Stamford providing insight into snow and road conditions.

Statewide sidewalk travelers

9:22 A.M State residents weather the cold to walk dogs or partake in other outdoor endeavors.

Norwalk mayor snow statement

9:16 A.M. Norwalk Mayor Barbara Smyth provides statement about snow and snowstorm severity.

Statewide power outages

Statewide Transportation Updates

Norwalk snowfall

9:08 A.M. A current look into the snowfall near our Norwalk studio.

Eversource restoration efforts

6:15 A.M. Eversource spokesperson Jamie Ratliff dives into the power companies restoration protocols during the snowstorm.

Update from Westport First Selectman

9:17 PM: Westport First Selectman Kevin Christie tells News 12 their top priority is keeping residents safe. The town is under local civil preparedness emergency. He says the most significant impacts will be overnight and into the morning. He and other town officials are pleading with residents to stay off the roads. Department of Public Works crews could be working for anywhere from 36 to 48 hours in order to clear the town’s roads.

Conditions in Milford

Greg Thompson reports from Wheelers Farm Road in Milford where conditions continue to deteriorate and one vehicle even got stuck in the snow.

Update from Stamford Mayor

9:05 PM: Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons says the city’s snow emergency will stay in effect until 8 a.m. Wednesday. She is asking residents to stay off the roads and avoid any unnecessary travel due to conditions and dangerous winds. Forty trucks are clearing the roads and will be working throughout the night and Monday. Simmons is asking residents to be patient as crews work to clear roads.

Stamford conditions

8:50 PM: Video of I-95 in downtown Stamford shows plenty of snow but very few cars on the road.

Fairfield conditions

8:35 PM: Video along the Post Road in Fairfield shows several inches already on the ground.

Milford ride along

8:03 PM: Greg Thompson speaks with Jesse Clark from Milford Department of Public Works on what he and his colleagues are seeing on the road so far.

Norwalk update

8 PM: Frank Recchia reports from Norwalk as the wind picks up, temperatures drop and the snowfall increases.

Norwalk conditions

6:44 PM: Videos from outside the Stop & Shop on Connecticut Avenue in Norwalk as the snow intensifies.

Greater Bridgeport transit update

Tweed closed

6:14 PM: Tweed New Haven Airport is closed due to the weather and will remain so through Monday.

Milford update

6:05 PM: Greg Thompson reports from Milford where snow is picking up.

Norwalk update

6:03 PM: Frank Recchia reports from the South Norwalk waterfront as conditions worsen.

Court update

5:39 PM: All stare courts administrative offices will be closed Monday. All cases scheduled, including those that would have been conducted via remote technology, will be rescheduled.

Be careful when shoveling

5:15 PM: Doctors at St. Vincent’s Medical Center are warning people to be careful when shoveling the heavy wet snow.

Milford update

5:06 PM: Greg Thompson reports from Milford and speaks to fire officials on their preparations.

Norwalk update

5:03 PM: Frank Recchia reports on conditions in South Norwalk.

Update from Lamont

5 PM: Gov. Ned Lamont has ordered all State of Connecticut executive branch office buildings will be closed to the public Monday. Level 1 executive branch state employees should report to work as scheduled or directed. Level 2 executive branch state employees should not report to work in-person to their state offices/work locations.

Bradley update

5 PM: Bradley International Airport remains open and crews are ready to begin removing snow. Currently 30% of flights have been canceled, mostly impacting arrivals. The airport says its airline partners continue to adjust their schedules due to the forecast. People scheduled to travel should check their flight status directly with their airline before coming to the airport.

UConn closures

4:10 PM: Due to the weather, all in-person classes at UConn campuses including at Storrs, the School of Law and all regional campuses expect UConn Health are canceled for Monday.

Fairfield update

4:10 PM: Fairfield Fire Chief Kyran Dunn speaks to News 12 about how this storm will be different from last one. Dunn says this storm will feature heavy winds, which could cause downed wires and power outages. He also says residents could see localize flooding in areas that are flood prone.

Send us Photos!

3:40 PM: We want to see your winter storm pictures and videos. Send them in, as long it is safe to do so, to News 12. You may see them in the show.

Gov. Lamont and state officials provide update

3 PM: Gov. Lamont says the storm will be worse than the one at the end of December because of the heavy winds and heavy snow. He says winds will be anywhere from 40 to 60 mph. Lamont says tree limbs could come down, causing outages. He says everyone should stay off the roads because they will be dangerous and slick.

DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto says there are 650 plows ready to go, along with 900 drivers. The department is fully stock with fuel, salt and other materials. He is asking people to stay home. If people have to travel, they should pack their car with essential items. Drivers should also not crowd or block plow trucks because they have limited visibility and need to keep moving. Public transportation has been severely limited Sunday and will also limited Monday. Due to conditions, it will take crews much longer to clean the highways and state roads due to the snow.

Eversource update

2 PM: Eversource counties to closely monitor several weather forecasts and are planning accordingly. The company says the heavy wet snow and strong winds could cause trees to come down and tree limbs to fall onto power lines. Eversource has 700 crews, including lineworkers from out of state prepared and in position. The company is warning customers that hazardous conditions will power restoration efforts.

Metro North update

1:45 PM: Metro-North will operating on an hourly schedule Monday with weekend schedules in place on branch lines.

Greenwich update

12:40 PM: Greenwich officials speak to News 12 on the town’s snow emergency and parking ban. They encourage all residents to stay off the roads.

Darien update

12:37 PM: First Selectman Jon Zagrodzky speaks to News 12 on what residents can do to help crews that are clearing streets.

Bridgeport update

12:30 PM: Frank Recchia speaks to Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim on the storm.

Lamont declares state of emergency

12:22 PM: Gov. Ned Lamont has declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm, beginning Sunday and continuing throughout the day on Monday. Lamont also signed an emergency order prohibiting all commercial vehicles from traveling on all limited access highways statewide in Connecticut beginning at 5 p.m. It will remain in effect until further notice.

Milford update

12:00 PM: Milford Mayor Richard Smith says a snow emergency will start at 1 p.m. Once the emergency starts, there will be a complete street parking ban. Smith also says plow trucks will begin going out starting at 6 p.m. Milford schools will be closed Monday.

TIMELINE: When to expect the worst of the blizzard

Alex Calamia shows us how the snowstorm is expected to play out from now through Monday night.

United Illuminating update

Bradley update

10:27 AM: Bradley International Airport remains open and staff are closely closely monitoring the weather for Sunday into Monday. They say as result of the forecast, some airline partners have started to adjust their schedules. They also advise anyone scheduled to travel during the storm to check their flight directly with their airline before coming to the airport.

Hour-By-Hour Weather Forecast

10:15 AM: A potentially historic snowstorm with blizzard conditions is in the forecast for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut by through Monday. Isolated spots in the tri-state area could see up to 2 feet of snow. News 12 meteorologist Alex Calamia is here with an hour-by-hour forecast to show you when impacts could be at their worst and most dangerous.

Easton update

10:05 AM: Asha McKenzie spoke to Easton Emergency Management Director Schuyler Sherwood on how the town is preparing.

Norwalk update

10:00 AM: Frank Recchia reports from Norwalk ahead of the storm.

State Parking Bans

9:41 AM: Snow emergencies declared in Connecticut ahead of massive winter storm, parking bans have also been set in place within towns in the state.

Lamont urges preparation

8:48 AM: Gov. Lamont urges residents to prepare for the storm, stay off roads, and says state snowplows are ready. Delay travel, slow down on snowy roads, and leave extra space between cars, especially snowplows.

AAA warns of power outages and dangerous travel as nor’easter approaches

8:48 AM: AAA Northeast is urging drivers to stay home as snow and blizzard‑like conditions move into the Northeast late Sunday into Monday. The storm brings the possibility of power outages, and drivers are encouraged to charge phones, portable chargers and other essential items before the worst conditions arrive. Road travel may become difficult, and drivers are advised to stay off the roads during and after the storm when possible.

Flight Cancellations

8:48 AM: Flight cancellations are piling up in the area due to the snowstorm. Westchester County Airport has already canceled over 30 flights, Tweed New Haven has around five cancellations, and Bradley International has more than 45 cancellations. Airlines are gearing up for the storm, but it’s likely to get worse. If you’re flying, check with your airline for updates.

Signs of Frostbite

If you’re venturing out in the cold, watch for signs of frostbite:

If you notice these symptoms, seek medical care ASAP. Stay safe out there!

Power Outages

Bridgeport Snow Emergency

“Our emergency parking ban has been in effective since 6 p.m. tonight,” Herron said. “The Bridgeport Police Department will be ticketing cars along these routes, and vehicles will be towed if they are not moved immediately.”

STORM RESOURCES

Stay off the roads if you can and let crews do their work. That’s the message from state officials ahead of Monday’s storm that’s expected to bring blizzard conditions across Connecticut.

Gov. Ned Lamont has already declared a state of emergency and issued a highway ban on commercial vehicles.

“This is going to be a bad one, and worse than the one we thought was pretty bad just at the end of December,” Gov. Lamont said.

A warning from the governor as Connecticut prepares for an expected blizzard. The governor declaring a state of emergency and commercial vehicle highway ban ahead of the storm. The ban includes vehicles like tractor-trailers or RV’s but doesn’t include emergency vehicles or utilities vehicles. He says this is in coordination with other nearby states and urged people to stay off the road if they didn’t need to go anywhere.

“It’s just incredibly dangerous. Could get really slick with the ice,” he said.

With wind gusts expected to peak at 40 to 60 miles an hour across Connecticut and the risk of falling trees and power lines, the state Department of Transportation (DOT) says it’s best to delay any plans.

“Monday morning is not the time to try to go pick something up off Facebook Marketplace. Wait and pick it up later in the week,” said Josh Morgan, a spokesperson for CT DOT.

DOT says they have a total of around 900 plow drivers ready to go to clear out all the snow that’s expected, but are asking for patience, saying it will be different from the last major storm a few weeks ago.

“Last time it was light, fluffy, easy to move. This time it’s going to be wet, heavy, more difficult to move,” Morgan said.

The agency says they have plenty of salt and other material to be ready to plow to prioritize creating passable highways once the snow stops.

“So, really trying to clear those travel lanes, but then we have to go out and clear the medians, clear the shoulders, clear some of those snowbanks and piles,” Morgan said.

DOT is also asking people, if you must travel during this weather, slow down, make extra time, and do not crowd the plows, saying it could cause a crash, further delaying any snow cleanup.