• Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont is urging motorists to avoid travel on Sunday, January 25, 2026, due to a major winter storm.
• The state is expected to receive 14 to 20 inches of snow, potentially the largest snowfall from a single storm in over a decade.
• Officials warn of heavy snowfall rates and possible whiteout conditions, making travel extremely dangerous.
• The Connecticut Department of Transportation has over 600 snowplows ready and advises drivers to give them ample space.

Gov. Ned Lamont has declared a state of emergency ahead of the major winter storm that is anticipated to impact Connecticut starting Sunday.

Additionally, he has signed an order prohibiting commercial vehicles – such as permitted vehicles, trucks, RVs, tractor trailers, tankers and vehicles with trailers – from traveling on all limited access highways in Connecticut beginning at noon on Sunday, and remaining in effect until further notice.

Limited access highways are generally those that are designed to carry large volumes of traffic and have controlled access with on and off ramps.

“This storm is going to significantly impair the ability to safely drive, and we want to get the word out that it will be extremely dangerous to be on the roads,” Lamont said. “Do not risk your life and the lives of others. I am strongly urging everybody to make plans now to be at a specific location on Sunday morning and remain there for the duration of the storm, which is likely to continue overnight and go into at least Monday morning.”

The order prohibiting commercial vehicle travel does not apply to emergency response and recovery vehicles, including public safety vehicles, utilities vehicles, and vehicles carrying essential personnel or supplies.

WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. (WFSB) – Travelers scrambled to adjust their plans Friday as Winter Storm Benjamin threatened to disrupt transportation across Connecticut, with Amtrak already canceling Sunday trains and airlines expected to follow suit.

At Bradley International Airport, some passengers were getting out ahead of the storm while others prepared for delays and cancellations.

Brian Mulaney of Middletown was heading to Australia, where he’ll experience 80-degree weather while Connecticut deals with up to a foot of snow.

“I’m happy to get away from it, that’s for sure. I don’t enjoy shoveling, so if I can be on a beach instead, that’d be awesome,” Mulaney said. “Going scuba diving, surfing, on the beach, being in 80-degree weather.”

Nick Tomasiewcz, a sophomore at Fordham University, took a different approach. He traveled by train to West Hartford to be home during the storm and planned to delay his Monday return until Wednesday.

“I think I’d rather be home during a big snowstorm. Expected to get a foot of snow. It’s a big deal,” Tomasiewcz said.

Not everyone was concerned about the approaching weather. Paul Randall of Lyndonville, Vermont, planned to drive to Vermont Friday but acknowledged the reality of New England winters.

“What are you going to do? It’s New England. No snakes, no alligators, you gotta put up with the snow,” Randall said.

Brian Spyros of the Connecticut Airport Authority said Bradley International Airport was preparing for the storm’s impact on operations. The airport must clear 13 million square feet of surface area during storms, including runways, taxiways and ramp areas.

“It’s a large undertaking out on the airfield. Between the runway, the taxiway, and the ramp area, it’s 13 million square feet of surface area that we have to clean during the storm,” Spyros said.

The Connecticut Airport Authority emphasized that airlines, not Bradley, make decisions about flight cancellations. No flights had been canceled as of Friday evening, but officials expected schedule adjustments as the storm approaches.

Amtrak has already canceled trains in Connecticut for Sunday. Both Amtrak and Metro-North send notifications to passengers about canceled trains, while airlines typically email customers about flight changes.

Officials urged travelers to check flight and train status regularly as conditions develop. Airlines and rail services were expected to make additional schedule adjustments throughout the weekend as Winter Storm Benjamin approaches the region.

Copyright 2026 WFSB. All rights reserved.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Betsy McCaughey promised Friday to phase out the state income tax altogether if she’s elected.  

It’s a promise other Republicans have failed to fulfill in Connecticut, but McCaughey said it could give Connecticut a competitive advantage over other states in the Northeast.  

“Good-bye to dying New York, and welcome to booming Connecticut,” she said during a press conference at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.  

Former Gov. John Rowland never delivered on his promise, despite a decade in office, while Bob Stefanowski made the elimination of the income tax the cornerstone of his losing 2018 effort against Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Connecticut).  

McCaughey, a Newsmax host and former lieutenant governor of New York, said her plan was different because she would make incremental cuts to the income tax as state revenues met certain benchmarks.  

She did not have specifics on Friday, instead saying she would put together a panel to come up with a plan modeled after actions in states like South Carolina.  

McCaughey said the state would make up for the revenue by attracting businesses and giving residents more money to spend, thereby increasing collections from the sales tax and other revenue sources.  

The state is expected to receive roughly $13.6 billion in income tax revenue, slightly more than half of all state revenue. By comparison, forecasts project $5.3 billion in sales tax revenue.  

Some economists question whether eliminating the income tax will spur sufficient economic growth to offset lost tax revenue elsewhere.  

University of New Haven professor Patrick Gourley said people could spend some of that money in other states or use it for purposes that don’t generate tax revenue.  

“Just because some of those additional earnings people get to keep, they’ll save themselves or invest and not spend,” he said.  

McCaughey pointed to a report from the conservative-leaning American Legislative Exchange Council that ranked Connecticut’s economy 48th based on data from 2013 to 2023 as a sign that the state’s economy needs a jump start.  

“Governor Ned Lamont, moneybags Lamont, claims that the state’s economy is resilient,” she said. “That’s a lie; this state’s economy is almost dead.”  

More recently, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis said Connecticut’s economy had the 4th best growth rate during the third quarter of last year, a stretch that covers July through September.  

Lamont defended his economic record, including his proposal and negotiation of an income tax cut in 2023.  

“I think every 4 years for 30 years, Republicans said we’re going to eliminate the income tax,” he said after a press conference in Wethersfield. “Who’s the one guy who actually cut the income tax?” 

Even some Republican gubernatorial candidates were dubious of McCaughey’s pledge.  

Sen. Ryan Fazio, (R-Greenwich), touted his own plan to fund a tax cut, averaging $1,500 per person, using spending cuts and savings in the budget. Some of those savings would come from reduced pension payments.  

“Empty promises are just that, they can never become reality, unless there’s a leader who can articulate them and deliver them,” he said. “I’m that candidate.”  

Former New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart, who is also seeking the nomination, declined to comment.