Locals are excited for winter storm, fire departments issue safety warnings

There is building excitement for a winter storm heading toward Connecticut.

“It's been two years since we have had any, so I am really hoping we have some,” Kamal Khanna, of Stamford, said.

Another woman about to grab some groceries shared in the excitement for a winter wonderland.

“I am so so excited, I am going to line up my snowshoes, my husband is going to line up cross country skis, we can’t wait,” she said.

With the inbound weather, local fire departments are offering safety reminders to residents around the state.

“Let the plows do their job with snow removal,” West Hartford Deputy Fire Chief Neal Sinatro said.

He is asking those who don’t need to be on the roads, to stay home so crews have time to clear the roads.

He is also reminding residents to check exterior vents when the snow comes down, to ensure carbon monoxide cannot build up in a house.

Also, when the snow wraps up, “Be careful, take your time, be mindful of how you’re moving your body in a safe manner,” Sinatro said.

Fresh snow also means the return of winter activities.

“Sledding, its been that long, I don’t even remember what it is…so for sledding, that will be good,” Rachel Kopanski, of Stratford, said.

A return to hills across the state is imminent, and the larger slopes like Powder Ridge in Middlefield cant wait. They have been perfecting the art of snowmaking when mother nature hasn’t delivered, but this weekend is a different story.

"Of course real snow, it’s the best so we are excited mother nature is finally going to deliver a storm and help us open up some more terrain,” Director of Guest Services Tom Loring said.

Loring said you can't beat fresh powder on top of the snow they have been hard at work making.

“It means where we have made snow conditions are phenomenal,” Loring said.