(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is ordering a virtual, partial activation of the Connecticut Emergency Operations Center (EOC) beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, January 25, 2026, to monitor conditions from the major winter storm that is anticipated to impact entire the state throughout the day and leading into Monday.
The EOC is the state’s central emergency management hub, where state leaders, agencies, and partners coordinate information, resources, and strategies to manage emergency situations.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for all of Connecticut that takes effect on Sunday morning. The forecast as of noon on Saturday is showing that the state will receive 14” to 22” of snow, which at times may come down at very heavy rates of more than 2” per hour, causing whiteout conditions that will make driving extremely difficult. Snow is expected to begin on Sunday morning and become particularly heavy in the afternoon and evening. Lighter rates of snow will remain on Monday morning and afternoon before tapering off and ending on Monday evening. This is estimated to be the largest snowfall total Connecticut has received from a single storm in more than a decade.
“This is shaping up to be a significant snowfall that will impact travel all day and night on Sunday and continuing into Monday,” Governor Lamont said. “I am strongly urging everyone in Connecticut to pick a safe location where you can shelter in place starting on Sunday morning and remain there for at least the next 24 hours until the storm passes. Driving in these conditions, especially during the height of the storm when we will experience whiteout situations that make visibility very limited, will be extremely dangerous.”
Under the state’s emergency management plan, a partial activation means that EOC partners from several of the primary state agencies that are responsible for managing emergency situations will be coordinating continually during the storm. This includes the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (including the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, the State Police, Division of Statewide Emergency Telecommunications, and the Commission on Fire Prevention and Control), the Connecticut Department of Transportation, the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services, the Connecticut Department of Social Services, the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services, and the Connecticut National Guard. Additionally, representatives of several partner organizations participate, including Eversource, United Illuminating, the American Red Cross of Connecticut, and the United Way of Connecticut, which operates 2-1-1.
A full activation, should it be needed, requires additional state agencies to participate. Those agencies remain on standby and are providing assistance as needed.
To subscribe to emergency alerts through the state’s CT Alert notification system, visit ct.gov/ctalert.
For emergency management news and resources, visit the state’s CTPrepares website at ct.gov/ctprepares.
For updates on any incidents that may be impacting state roads and highways, visit CTtroads.org. For those who utilize public transportation, visit the transit operator’s website for updates on any potential delays or cancellations.