MONROE, Conn. — The major snowstorm that dumped more than a foot of fluffy white stuff all over Monroe Sunday into the next day — most of it piling up in about 12 hours — turned out to be largely uneventful, according to First Selectman Terry Rooney and fire and police officials.
More than 20 inches were reported in parts of town with drifting and elevation causing varying totals. Near the center of town residents measured 15 inches in multiple spots in their yards. Whatever amount one had to shovel, blow or brush it is fair to say … it was a lot.
With snow falling at a rapidly-fast pace, a couple inches or more an hour at times, visibility was lousy at best, but the town’s residents averted notable accidents by — for the most part — staying put when their outside-the-house world looked like a snow globe.
“We had a couple car spinouts and breakdowns, but nothing major,” Police Lt. Kevin McKellick said of Sunday’s calls when the storm dropped snow rapidly.
McKellick said residents did a good job of staying home and he asks that they keep roads clear in the aftermath of such storms to allow Department of Public Works crew members to clean up.
“It was very quiet for fire calls townwide — only two short duration, routine calls early yesterday,” Fire Chief Kevin Catalano said Monday morning. “We had two full engine crews staffing the station all day and overnight.”
Rooney, who said he had 23.7 inches of snow, noted that DPW workers go above and beyond and he is pleased when residents recognize their efforts.
“These guys work around the clock during the storm. It’s a lot on the body. It’s a lot to be in the truck, and a lot of concentration and focus,” the first selectman said.
Rooney said he spent much of Sunday traveling around town to check in on crews and things went smoothly with residents doing their part by keeping cars off the roads.
Mailboxes can be victims of storms after plows pass. Rooney noted that it is usually the snow being thrown, not the plow itself, that knocks boxes from their posts, and that he was pleased to report that was not an issue with this storm as of what he had heard on l Monday morning.
Residents prepare for storms by making sure to have everything from the food to shovels and ice melting supplies, some setting up generators. Likewise, there is a lot of preparation that town officials undertake to make sure the town is ready for worst-case scenarios.
Rooney said officials pay attention to the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and set up a plan to spring into action. Eversource had crews ready to go to work if necessary, in addition to the town’s plows being ready to roll, and fire and police departments set to respond.
Guy Uhran used his snow thrower to clean up his driveway and had no objection to Mother Nature’s interruption.
“It wasn’t as bad as it could have been,” Uhran said. “It is better than 24 or 30, and it’s very light. It’s New England so you’ve got to live with it, otherwise go to Florida.”
The consistency of the snow made it relatively easy to clear from walkways and driveways. Although not optimal for snowmen this time around, the snow certainly was enjoyed by children who built forts and played on snowbanks in their yards.
There is no telling when the next snowstorm will come, but all that fell from this one should stick around for well over a week with temperatures to stay below, often well below, freezing, according to various forecasts.
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