Morning Weather Report
Today
Rain likely, mainly before 10am. Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 53. Light and variable wind becoming northwest 9 to 14 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 29. Wind chill values between 20 and 25. Northwest wind 9 to 15 mph.
Tomorrow
A 40 percent chance of rain after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43. Wind chill values between 20 and 30. North wind 6 to 8 mph becoming east in the afternoon.
Tomorrow Night
Rain, snow, and sleet, becoming all rain after 10pm. Low around 34. Windy, with an east wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 21 to 26 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 37 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Westport Book Shop Welcomes Artist George Radwan for March
The Westport Book Shop is pleased to welcome mixed media artist George Radwan as guest exhibitor for the month of March at the Book Shop’s Drew Friedman Art Place.
George is exhibiting a group of birdhouses inspired by the shacks he saw years ago in the township of Soweto on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa. He is also showing a few small, mixed media pieces, constructed of found and repurposed materials.
George Radwan grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles with a BFA in Advertising Design. After graduation, he worked for more than a decade as an art director in various Madison Avenue advertising agencies in New York, including a two-year stint at agencies in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Hong Kong. Today he is a project manager at VCA Inc., a high-end custom architectural woodworking and furniture company.
George Radwan’s artwork will be on exhibit at the Book Shop through March 31, 2023. All artwork on display is available for purchase.
To see more of George’s work, visit his website: https://georgeradwan.com Westport Book Shop, a nonprofit used book store, is downtown Westport’s only source for gently used and antiquarian books, vintage vinyl records, CDs, DVDs and audio books. It is located at 23 Jesup Road, right across Jesup Green from the Westport Library. The Book Shop’s “Drew Friedman Art Place” is an area of the store dedicated to exhibiting the work of community artists year-round, on a rotating basis. Miggs Burroughs, a Trustee of the Drew Friedman Community Arts Center, and a founding member of The Artists Collective of Westport, is curating these exhibits, which change monthly. The art exhibit is open to the public during the Book Shop’s business hours: Sundays and Mondays from Noon to 5 p.m., and Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Westport Book Shop, and the Westport Library Book Sales, are operated by Westport Book Sale Ventures, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit enterprise with the dual social mission to provide meaningful employment for adults with disabilities, while raising support for The Westport Library, through used book sales. In addition to the nonprofit Westport Book Shop, gently used books are also offered for sale online on the company’s website www.westportbooksaleventures.org/shop and through our eBay store at www.ebay.com/str/ westportbooksalesct, as well as at periodic large book sale events (the next book sale event is scheduled for May 5 through 8, 2023, inside the Westport Library). For more information, or to make a charitable donation, please visit our website at www.westportbooksaleventures.org
Westport Book Sale Ventures welcomes volunteers for all aspects of our operations, from book donation receipt and sorting, to preparing for and working at book sale events, to work in our online sales operation, and at the Westport Book Shop. For more information, and to get involved, please visit www.westportbooksales.org or send an email to info@westportbooksales.org
Car Drives into Staples High School Culinary Classroom; No Injuries Reported
Photo by Holden Caney for WestportLocal.comWestport Fire Department: Just prior to 8am this morning the fire department responded to the report of a car into the building and an active gas leak at Staples High School. The building was immediately evacuated by school personnel. The driver of the vehicle, an adult woman, inadvertently drove into the building. The fire department arrived and found gas actively leaking from a classroom kitchen. The woman was not injured and was out of the vehicle when the fire department arrived. The gas was quickly shut off and multiple fans were used to ventilate the gas from the building. There were no injuries as a result of the accident or gas leak.
The fire department responded to the scene with 4 engines, 1 ladder truck, and the shift commander. The Westport Fire Marshal’s Office, Westport Building Department, Westport Police Department, and Southern CT Gas Company responded to the scene to provide assistance.
Morning Weather Report
Today
Mostly sunny, with a high near 43. Wind chill values between 25 and 35. Calm wind becoming southeast 5 to 8 mph in the morning.
Tonight
A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. Southeast wind 5 to 8 mph.
Tomorrow
A 40 percent chance of showers before 1pm. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 53. Northeast wind 6 to 13 mph becoming west in the afternoon.
Tomorrow Night
Increasing clouds, with a low around 30. North wind 7 to 13 mph.
Tricky Turn of Thomas Road
With thanks to local Public Works crew, Thomas Road was all clear by late Tuesday morning as snow blanketed the community. WestportLocal.com photo
Saugatuck Snow Day
The yellow of Assumption Church punctuated the white and grey skies of Tuesday’s snow storm. WestportLocal.com photo
Morning Weather Report
Today
Snow before 9am, then rain and snow between 9am and noon, then rain likely after noon. High near 39. Wind chill values between 20 and 30. East wind 7 to 17 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.
Tonight
Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 27. Northwest wind around 7 mph.
Tomorrow
A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 44. Wind chill values between 20 and 30. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon.
Tomorrow Night
A 40 percent chance of showers after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. South wind 5 to 7 mph.
On or Close to Schedule
Tonight’s trains rain on or close to their planned schedule as snow began to cover the platforms and tracks in the community. WestportLocal.com photo.
From the MTA: With a winter storm expected to bring up to six inches of snow across the New York Metro area, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today detailed all-agency preparations being made to keep customers and employees safe while delivering as much reliable service as possible.
MTA employees will be deployed throughout the operating region spreading salt and clearing surfaces of snow, keeping signals, switches, and third rails operating, and attending to any weather-related challenges.
“Crews will be prepositioned as we monitor conditions for the duration of the storm, with the ability to respond quickly to any issues,” said Metro-North President and LIRR Interim President Catherine Rinaldi. “Customers should still plan some extra travel time and use TrainTime for real-time updates if they expect to travel later this evening and early tomorrow morning.”
New York City Subway and Staten Island Railway
While the underground portions of the subway system remain unaffected during snowstorms, there are nearly 220 miles of outdoor track throughout the boroughs. The Rockaway , Sea Beach , Flushing , Brighton and Dyre Av lines are particularly vulnerable to snow and freezing precipitation. To prevent subway trains from being blocked in yards, they may be moved and stored underground in anticipation of heavy snow or ice.
New York City Transit has a fleet of snow and ice-fighting trains designed to keep outdoor tracks, switches and third rails clear of snow and ice. High-powered snow throwers, jet-powered snow-blowers, and de-icing cars – retired subway cars modified with tanks and other specialized equipment to spray de-icing fluid on the third rail – are ready for immediate deployment. Additional employees will be at stations and in yards to assist with snow response.
New York City Buses
Articulated buses will be fitted with chains ahead of the Tuesday’s morning rush hour. Bus managers have technology that tracks headways and service in real time, allowing them to make service-related decisions more efficiently. Bus service will be adjusted based on road conditions around the city, and service curtailments on a route-by-route basis are possible.
New York City Transit and the MTA Bus Company have 35 snow-fighting vehicles in their fleet, which operate on predetermined routes to quickly reach terminals, lay-over locations, and other highly trafficked areas and known hotspots.
MTA Bridges and Tunnels
MTA Bridges and Tunnels personnel have activated full inclement weather preparedness for all facilities and the Operations Command Center Weather Desk will monitor the forecast. Over 9,600 tons of roadway deicer and 115 pieces of storm fighting equipment readied and available for deployment.
Bridges are equipped with embedded roadway sensors for temperature and above-ground atmospheric sensors that deliver real-time information on wind velocity, wind direction, humidity and precipitation via wireless communication. Additional restrictions may be put in place if conditions warrant.
Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North's snow-fighting equipment is tested, and strategically positioned at facilities around the system.
Protective heat circuits are being verified to be operational, air brake lines are being purged of any moisture to prevent them from freezing, and electric trains are fitted with special third rail shoes to prevent snow from accumulating. Switches – the interlocking tracks that allow rail traffic controllers to route trains from one track to another – use electric/gas switch heaters to melt snow.
Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road crews will be out across the service territory working to keep trains moving. De-icing trains will be running to keep third rails clear of snow and ice, while crews will be strategically positioned throughout the system helping to keep switches clear and operable.
Those who must travel are urged to be cautious on station staircases and platforms, as well as when boarding and exiting trains. Customers are encouraged to check the LIRR Train Time app, MYmta app, or new.mta.info. Customers can chat live with LIRR customer service agents daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. through TrainTime for any service-related questions.
Access-A-Ride
Access-A-Ride paratransit will continue to provide service. Customers may experience additional delays and wait times. Customers may want to consider adjusting or canceling their travel plans.
Paratransit Command Center will be monitoring the storm to track and respond to any customer or day of service issues.
Intrepid New England Commuters
Snow brought the Monday evening commute to a snowy end as the hearty commuters of Westport walked back to their snow-covered cars tonight from Saugatuck Station. WestportLocal.com photo
Snowy Evening on Main
Tonight’s snow storm began to cover the downtown area, including Nomade and Savvy + Grace. WestportLocal.com photo