Rain Coats the Town in Ice

Snow and sleet shifted to freezing rain and rain this afternoon, leaving lawns, sidewalks and driveways coated in ice. Roads were passable but messy as the second major winter storm in a week swept through the region.

West Hartford Public Works Director John Phillips issued a parking ban at about 7 a.m. and planned to lift it at midnight. He advised people who had to travel to leave lots of extra time.

School and after-school activities were canceled as well as the public schools' Board Awards, which were rescheduled for Feb. 1. The Board of Education meeting scheduled for tonight has also been postponed. Items on the agenda for tonight will be moved to the Feb. 1 meeting. Mid-term exams at the high schools have also been postponed a day. They will now start on Friday, Jan. 21, and end on Wednesday, Jan. 26.

and the were open today, but some offices and businesses closed, including . Westfarms mall was open during its regular hours, from 10 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. and Bow Tie Cinemas at Blue Back Square operated on a normal schedule.

Earlier today, Phillips gave his assessment of the road situation.

"The roads are slippery and snow covered. Crews are working the arterials now, then on to secondary mains," Phillips said by email. "We are already seeing sleet and freezing rain, good to hold down accumulation, but freezing rain will have an impact on road conditions. I have issued a parking ban as a precaution in case we have parked cars impeding our ability to clear snow from the road. It's extremely important we plow back and open catch basins to accept the water runoff from the expected rains this afternoon."

Phillips also had this request: "If your trash barrel is in the street, please move it into your driveway apron. If it has been emptied, please bring it back to your house. Barrels in the street are a problem and having an effect on the crews' ability to clear the roads as they need to be."

About mid-morning today, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy ordered a partial activation of the State Emergency Operations Center and said state officials would continue to reassess the situation.

“I am urging everyone to take it slow on the roads, and if you don’t have to go out, please consider staying home until the plows have a chance to get through our roads following the morning commute,” Malloy said in a news release. “We are closely monitoring the situation and will make any necessary decisions in terms of staggered release or other actions later this morning. But in the meantime, please be safe and mindful of the elements at hand.”

 Malloy asked residents to contact authorities if they see drooping or fallen power lines. No power outages had been reported in West Hartford in the morning, but downed power lines caused police to block off a section of Fern Street east of Trout Brook Drive late Tuesday afternoon.

On Monday night, Malloy warned residents that the heavy snow already on roofs and other surfaces could become heavier with today's ice and rain. Flooding is also a concern.

The National Weather Service is predicting that another snowstorm will move into the area Thursday night. There is a 70 percent chance of snow on Friday.