Inside the Emergency Operations Center as the storm got underway.
Please be patient.
As snow poured on their heads and wind blew around them, city officials sent that message to New Haveners about the removal of an expected 12 – 16 inches of white stuff from local roads.
They sent that message at a storm update press conference held Monday afternoon in front of the 200 Orange St. municipal office building.
The storm was still in the early stages of covering New Haven with what is expected to be heavy snowfall lasting through overnight.
They cautioned that it will probably take more than a while to get all 818 streets in town, including 101 dead-end streets, passable.
The city has crews out on 45 trucks to clear the roads.
“This is not something that’s going to be cleaned up in one day,” said emergency management chief Rick Fontana. “We’ll get it done. … Mother Nature will help us. We will get some warmer temperatures coming up.”
As of 2 p.m., the city had experienced no power outages or fallen trees, Fontana reported. “Fingers crossed.”
Fire Chief John Alston Jr. appealed to people not to block hydrants.
Fifteen people so far are at a warming center set up by the city.
An emergency parking ban is in effect until further notice. Parking is prohibited on both sides of downtown streets and along posted snow emergency routes; and on the odd-numbered sides of residential streets elsewhere in town.
You can park for $3 a day in the Crown Street, Temple Street and Granite Square parking garages starting Sunday evening. Yale also has made some parking lots available.
Yale New Haven Health mass vaccination clinics will be closed all Monday and Tuesday; its Covid testing sites will close noon Monday through noon Tuesday.