Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Connecticut, October 29 to 30, 2011

Name: Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Connecticut, October 29 to 30, 2011
Start: 2011-10-29T11:00
End: 2011-10-30T03:00
Location: Connecticut

October 29 to 30, 2011 · NWS OKX · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A historic and unprecedented early-season winter storm impacted the area on Saturday, October 29, with more than one foot of heavy wet snow falling on interior portions of Southern Connecticut. This is the first time a winter storm of this magnitude has ever occurred in October.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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.

Late Friday night, October 28, an area of low pressure emerged from the South Carolina coastal plain into the western Atlantic Ocean. The low moved up the coast late Friday night into Saturday morning. The low began to rapidly strengthen late Saturday morning when it was east of the Delmarva coast, and continued to strengthen as it passed south of Long Island Saturday night. With water temperatures in the lower 60s, extreme southeast coastal Connecticut received mainly rainfall and up to 3 inches of rain during the event. Areas just to the north and west, however, were just cold enough to support a heavy wet snow. The heaviest snow fell along a corridor through interior southwest Connecticut, with up to a foot of snow in the highest elevations. In addition to the heavy rain and snow, strong winds were experienced along the immediate coastline.

Hundreds of thousands of people across southern Connecticut lost power during this event as heavy snow accumulated on trees that still had partial to full foliage during mid-autumn. This caused extensive felling of trees and limbs across the region and damage to power lines.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS New York, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 29, 9:47 AM EST, 1 hour 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 29, 9:47 AM EST, 1 hour 13 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 29, 3:19 AM EST, 7 hours 41 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 heavy snow, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Northern Fairfield

When: October 29, 11:00 AM EST to October 30, 12:00 AM 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)

Widespread tree damage and power outages occurred due to 6 to 17 inches of heavy wet snow. The heavier amounts fell in the higher elevations.

In Newtown, numerous trees were reported down across the town by 230 pm EST. In Danbury, 2 homes were damaged by falling trees by around 330 pm EST. In Sherman, lanes were blocked on Route 39 near Hubble Mountain Road due to downed trees and power lines around 4pm EST.

Heavy Snow, Southern Fairfield

When: October 29, 11:00 AM EST to October 30, 12:00 AM 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)

Widespread tree damage and power outages occurred due to 3 to 8 inches of heavy wet snow and 15 to 20 mph winds.

In Stamford, trees and branches and power lines were reported down throughout the town around 1230 pm EST.

Heavy Snow, Northern New Haven

When: October 29, 11:00 AM EST to October 30, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Northern New Haven forecast zone
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 41.443, -72.965 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Widespread tree damage and power outages occurred due to 6 to 12 inches of heavy wet snow. The heavier amounts fell in the higher elevations.

In Wolcott, one person was struck by a tree and injured while walking outside around 310 pm EST. In Seymour, numerous trees and branches were reported down by around 4 pm EST. In Meriden, many trees and wires were down on Briar Lane by around 930 pm EST.

Heavy Snow, Northern Middlesex

When: October 29, 11:00 AM EST to October 30, 1:00 AM 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)

Widespread tree damage and power outages occurred due to 3 to 8 inches of heavy wet snow. The heavier amounts fell in the higher elevations.

In Durham, Route 7 near Dinatale Rd was closed due to downed trees around 5 pm EST.

Winter Storm, Southern New Haven

When: October 29, 11:00 AM EST to October 30, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Southern New Haven forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 41.443, -72.965 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Widespread tree damage and power outages occurred due to 2 to 4 inches of heavy wet snow and 15 to 20 mph winds.

In New Haven, multiple trees were reported down at Pine and Ferry Streets around 430 pm EST.

Heavy Snow, Northern New London

When: October 29, 12:00 PM EST to October 30, 3:00 AM 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)

Widespread tree damage and power outages occurred due to 3 to 8 inches of heavy wet snow. The heavier amounts fell in the higher elevations.

In Colchester, numerous trees and wires were reported down on Route 16 between Bigilow and Waterhole Roads by 530 pm EST.

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Connecticut in 2011 Every state in 2011 This day in weather history Warnings in Connecticut, October 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: 352932, 352933, 352934, 352935, 352937, 352936.