Winter Storm Dumps 13 Inches of Snow on New Canaan [PHOTOS]

An estimated 13 inches of snow blanketed New Canaan on Thursday, forcing dozens of local businesses to close as public works crews worked around-the-clock on town roads amid strong winds and freezing temperatures.

The New Canaan Public Schools will open on a two-hour delay on Friday, district officials announced:

• NCHS – 9:30 a.m.
• Saxe grades 7/8 – 9:30 a.m.
• Saxe grades 5/6 – 10:20 a.m.
• South – 10:15 a.m.
• East and West – 11:05 a.m.

New Canaan Police reported one minor storm-related accident in town while Fire Chief Jack Hennessey urged residents to shovel around hydrants, keep their house numbers visible and plow long driveways for access by EMTs and other emergency responders.

First Selectman Rob Mallozzi commended the New Canaan Department of Public Works’ Highway and Parks employees on doing “a fantastic job.”

“They are real pros,” Mallozzi told NewCanaanite.com.

Officials expect storm cleanup—clearing the roads and piling snow in designated lots—to take eight-plus hours “and we should be good to go by the morning.”

New Canaan Library and Town Hall also were closed Thursday.

DPW Director Tiger Mann said that the heavy snow came down “very hard throughout the day” and that town equipment saw mechanical breakdowns “but that is par for the course during long snow events.”

The National Weather Service issued a bulletin late Thursday urging motorists to be cautions, as gusts blowing up to 45 mph could re-cover roads that had been cleared earlier.