Connecticut, 2016

Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Connecticut, November 20 to 21, 2016

November 20 to 21, 2016 · NWS ALY · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A strong frontal boundary crossed the region during the early morning hours on Sunday, November 20th. Precipitation initially begin as rain or a mix of rain and snow, but quickly transitioned over to just snow as colder air quickly worked its way into the region.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 ALY wrote it up.

A strong frontal boundary crossed the region during the early morning hours on Sunday, November 20th. Precipitation initially begin as rain or a mix of rain and snow, but quickly transitioned over to just snow as colder air quickly worked its way into the region.

Although precipitation only lasted a few hours across valley areas, the snowfall continued through the entire day on Sunday November 20th and into the day on Monday November 21st across the higher elevations, as the persistent westerly flow caused upslope flow into the higher terrain of the Litchfield Hills. While valley areas only saw a few inches of snowfall, the highest elevations around Norfolk saw up to 15 inches. Snowfall tapered off the early evening hours on Monday.

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 Albany, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 19, 6:39 PM EST, 8 hours 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 19, 6:39 PM EST, 8 hours 21 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 19, 3:30 PM EST, 11 hours 30 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

1 heavy snow, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Northern Litchfield

When
November 20, 3:00 AM EST to November 21, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Northern Litchfield forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.847, -73.221 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Southern Litchfield

When
November 20, 3:00 AM EST to November 21, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Southern Litchfield forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.847, -73.221 (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.
Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Connecticut in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Connecticut, November 2016

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 664582, 664583.