[Justpeachy]

I arrived in coastal CT from CA in late Jan 2007. It was not that bad when I got here you know some 40 degree daytime sunny days. There were some pretty bad storms in Feb. and March. My neighbors said it was a mild winter in 2007. Are they correct? That is sort of scarey. How often does the power go out due to ice/ snow storms? I did not lose power this past winter.

[joanchris2000]

The power going out will depend on where exactly you live, and what your electric utility is. We lived in Stratford for 15 yrs, had the power go out maybe 5 times. Had family in other areas (Easton/Monroe) where the power went out more often.
here's a link about weather "fun facts" with average snowfall amounts etc.
DEP: Connecticut's Weather Fun Facts

[mels]

I have lived in CT for the majority of my life, the bulk of that being on the shoreline, and I can count on one hand the number of times I recall power going out in the winter. Most power outages are due to summer thunderstorms knocking trees down onto lines.

It did seem like we didn't have much snow this past winter and it was super mild for most of December '06. I guess it depends on your definition of a "bad" storm. We rarely get more than a few inches at once so it is easy for the plows to stay on top of things. Also if you are on the shoreline you will probably get slush (rain/snow mix) half of the time while the rest of the state gets pure snow. It is southern New England, not Maine, so we don't really get the big storms that will keep you in your house. I can't recall the last time we had a storm where I couldn't go about my normal daily business.

If you were OK with the snow storms we did have last winter, you'll be fine this winter. There may just be more of them than last year but you never know!

[JayCT]

Just Peachy - Again welcome to Connecticut. Last winter was considered to be a bit mild with few major snow storms and somewhat mild temperatures. You could usually expect a couple of large snow storms a winter and temps below 30 for several weeks. Usually you just wait a day or two and the temps go up. I am sure Skytrekker will be able to give more detailed information than my casual observations.

As for power outages, it does depend on where you live. If you are in a more rural area you can expect outages more often than if you live in a more developed area. That is because power lines are often severed by tree limbs during storms. Anyway, I would not worry much about it. they are usually repaired fairly quickly (a few hours). Jay

[skytrekker]

Comparing Connecticut winters with most of California is like apples and oranges.

Coastal California, from the Mexican border to about Mendocino has a dry sub tropical climate- meaning cool to warm summers, with no rain, some low stratus fog along the coast in the summer. Temperatures inland will be warmer, to hot, with less fog. Winters will be rainy, from San Francisco north- with less rain from the central coast south. But temps will average in the mid to upper 60s by day, and 32-42 at night.

Connecticut has a humid continental climate- which is 'modified' by the proximity of the nearby Atlantic ocean. Meaning moderate winters for the latitude, and warm to hot summers, where coastal locales are moderated by a sea breeze.

Seasons here are distinct- with a warm to hot summer with moderate to high levels of humidity (you will sweat here) springs that are fleeting, that are very cool to warm and capricious. Autumns are sublime- From late August to late November, the weather is mild, pleasant and easy. Temps can reach 70 degrees in early November, and the upper 50s and even 60 in early December.

Be prepared for some days when temps do not climb above 35, and may fall to 5 degrees at night. There be a few times in the winter with 5" of snow or more, and even once or twice with 10" or more.

Precipitation is evenly distributed here year round, compared to California which has a winter maximum.

Winter begins to set in around Christmas here... with cold, and some snow.

Connecticut's climate is about 1-2 degrees milder then 30 years ago-with warming most apparent in the winter. In the near future weather in the summer should become hotter in the summer, with increasing 90 degree days.

In my garden I grow a certain hardy fan palm from Asia- that survived last winter with minimal protection. Also on the estate is a Giant Sequoia, that has survived several winters. Palms in Connecticut? yep!

You will to a degree experience some climatic shock from mid December to late March. There will be periods of cold weather, snow, sleet, inter spaced with mild conditions- in the 40s and even 50s or higher. Then come Cloudy forlorn days of chill- with no sun, snow and wind.

Roads at times may be snow covered- traveling may be cumbersome, but these conditions seldom last long.

Last winter was actually close to normal; we had a very Mild December, and first half of January- then the next two months where cold- there was not much snow however.

Oh yes one of my palms- see more over in the gardening forum.....
Attachment 7865

Jay was excellent- I just fill in the details

[sgfludd]

On that note - are there ever unexpected vast amounts of snow? I was wondering if I should prepare a snow kit akin to my earthquake kit I had in LA - with water, batteries, protein bars, the whole bit. But as far as I can tell - there is little chance of an unexpected blizzard - I assume meteorologist tell(and show) us well in advance of snow and ice?

[mels]

There is always advanced notice of a blizzard, and more often than not when they predict 1-2 feet of snow we'll end up with half of that amount. Every local channel will even give you Non.Stop.Coverage. of the falling snowflakes and live footage of what a mess that highways have become.

I should also add that the times we do get a lot of snow the roads are cleared quickly. Very rarely will you ever find yourself homebound for more than 1 day. Even then if you have 4WD or AWD you don't really need to stay in, though if severe weather is expected many places will close up shop so there aren't many places to go. Days like that I find it nicer to get the fireplace roaring and hang out at home.

[tchemgrrl]

sgfludd--The weather is definitely more predictable than earthquakes, the meteorologists usually give a reasonable guess of how much snow is coming.

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't have a few things together beforehand. Imagine that earthquakes WERE predictable, and you heard on the news that a 6.5 was coming within the next 48 hours. Picture what the local grocery store would look like for a moment, and that's a good approximation of what a CT grocery store looks like right before a Nor'easter. It'll be MUCH easier on you and your family if you have enough stuff to keep you warm, fed, and entertained for, say, 24 hours.

Good things to have are probably the same as in an earthquake-preparedness kit but skewed towards cold-weather considerations. I like to have candles, batteries, a non-cordless phone, a hand-cranked or battery-powered radio, flashlights, a propane stove or wood for the fireplace, extra blankets, an extra shovel (like windshield wipers, they break at the WORST moments), a deck of cards, maybe a cooler (easier to carry stuff outside from the fridge if the power goes out ). Some non-perishable food that doesn't need long cooking times, and water in case the pipes freeze. Disposable plates, napkins, and forks etc. aren't needed but are sanity-helping. Whether you choose to get a generator or not depends on your location and just how prepared you want to be, I'd guess that's the same as in earthquake-prone areas too.

[skytrekker]

The weather forecasters in the state do a good job, but sometimes they do make mistakes.
Either in underestimating a snow event or overestimating.

In all the years I have lived here I have not put together a 'winter event kit'- and really never needed one- except for the dreadful ice storm in 1973.

[mels]

Originally Posted by tchemgrrl

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't have a few things together beforehand. Imagine that earthquakes WERE predictable, and you heard on the news that a 6.5 was coming within the next 48 hours. Picture what the local grocery store would look like for a moment, and that's a good approximation of what a CT grocery store looks like right before a Nor'easter.

SO true. Even when 3 inches of snow is predicted you will see people hitting the bread and milk at Stop and Shop as if the armageddon were forecasted.