Connecticut, 2011

Heavy Snow in Connecticut, January 11 to 12, 2011

January 11 to 12, 2011 · NWS OKX · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Southern Connecticut received a heavy snowfall on the 11th and 12th of January from surface low pressure tracking up the Atlantic seaboard and then rapidly intensifying as it tracked just southeast of Long Island in response to an intense upper level disturbance. Light snow overspread the region Tuesday evening ahead of low pressure and then became heavier Tuesday night as low pressure rapidly…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS OKX wrote it up.

Southern Connecticut received a heavy snowfall on the 11th and 12th of January from surface low pressure tracking up the Atlantic seaboard and then rapidly intensifying as it tracked just southeast of Long Island in response to an intense upper level disturbance.

Light snow overspread the region Tuesday evening ahead of low pressure and then became heavier Tuesday night as low pressure rapidly intensified. As the upper level disturbance worked over the region late Tuesday night a semi-stationary north to south band of very heavy snow developed just east of the Hudson River, gradually pivoting northeast Wednesday morning through early Wednesday afternoon. This band was responsible for snowfall rates of 3 to 4 inches per hour, and snow totals of between 15 and 30 inches across Southern CT by Wednesday afternoon.

The highest snowfall totals were observed across northern portions of Fairfield and New Haven Counties. The Governor of CT, Daniel P. Malloy, was cited as saying, that the season's second major storm was a record-breaker, dumping more snow on Connecticut in 12 hours than the state had ever seen in a full day, up to 30 inches.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Northern Fairfield

When
January 11, 10:00 PM EST to January 12, 2:00 PM EST
Where
Northern Fairfield forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
41.285, -73.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Fairfield

When
January 11, 10:00 PM EST to January 12, 2:00 PM EST
Where
Southern Fairfield forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
41.285, -73.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The northbound stretch of I-95 in Westport was shutdown Wednesday morning for nearly 6 hours by snow related crashes. This stranded dozens of truckers and motorists with some motorists driving southbound in the northbound lane.

Heavy Snow, Southern New Haven

When
January 11, 10:00 PM EST to January 12, 8:00 PM EST
Where
Southern New Haven forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
41.443, -72.965 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern New Haven

When
January 11, 11:00 PM EST to January 12, 8:00 PM EST
Where
Northern New Haven forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
41.443, -72.965 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The 30.5 inches that fell at North Haven is an unofficial record for the county.

Heavy Snow, Northern Middlesex

When
January 11, 11:00 PM EST to January 12, 10:00 PM EST
Where
Northern Middlesex forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
41.451, -72.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Middlesex

When
January 11, 11:00 PM EST to January 12, 10:00 PM EST
Where
Southern Middlesex forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
41.451, -72.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern New London

When
January 12, 12:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Northern New London forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
41.504, -72.101 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A partial roof collapse occurred at a multi-unit apartment building at 92 Washington Street in Norwich, CT at 10:53 am on Wednesday. No one was injured, but 10 people were displaced. The collapse was due to roof rafters on the nearly flat roof giving out under the weight of heavy snow and ice. The roof partially collapsed, causing the rear wall to bulge and for the building's chimney to lean towards an adjacent building.

Heavy Snow, Southern New London

When
January 12, 12:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Southern New London forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
41.504, -72.101 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Connecticut in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Connecticut, January 2011

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 279946, 279947, 279949, 279948, 279950, 279951, 279952, 279953.