The new governor, Dannel P. Malloy, says he has a message for state residents regarding the upcoming storm: "Get prepared.''
After a briefing from top state officials, Malloy said the state is preparing for storms of wide ranges, depending on the track of the storm that is expected to start at midnight.
"We have a big range,'' Malloy told reporters early Tuesday afternoon. "We've got to be prepared.''
He added, "Let's be very clear. If we get 20 inches of snow, it's going to be a mess. If we get 20 inches of snow, people are going to complain. They're going to be unhappy.''
Malloy cautioned drivers to stay off the roads between 2 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wednesday. The state is trying to avoid a repeat of the problems along Interstate 84 from Newtown through Danbury last week that was caused by an accident on the New York State side of the border - causing backups into Connecticut.
"We're going to have people stranded because people do silly things,'' Malloy predicted at the state armory in Hartford. "If you're not on the highway, I can guarantee you won't be stranded on it.''
Malloy is awaiting an important weather update at 4 p.m., which will help state officials determine the exact track of the storm. At that point, Malloy will make some decisions regarding whether non-essential state employees should stay home on Wednesday.
At its worst, the snow could be as heavy as 4 inches per hour. In anticipation, the state's emergency operations center at the armory will be open at full speed at 10 p.m. tonight. A new shift of workers will arrive at 7 a.m. Wednesday.