The Daily Five: A Messy Commute, Weather Advisories, and Deadlines Extended

1. The snow that began yesterday evening turned to freezing rain overnight. This morning, we'll be waking up to light rain, according to weather.com. The National Weather Service has issued two alerts for our area. A coastal flood advisory is in effect from 7 a.m. until 12 p.m. and a high wind warning issued yesterday at 4 p.m. is in effect until 6 a.m. today.

The high temperature should reach about 46 degrees with an overnight low of 27 degrees. Tonight should partly cloudy and windy with a 20 percent chance of rain. 

2. This morning's commute could be pretty messy depending on where you're going. Snow accumulation along the coast amounted to about 2 inches but farther inland around Hartford it was expected to be about 2 to 5 inches, and west of Hartford and north toward Enfield and into Massachusetts snow was expected to be deeper than 5 inches.

Police traffic alerts were filling up my email fast yesterday with news of accidents on roads all over the state, so please, drive very carefully if you're not lucky enough to have the week off. 

3. If you're planning to fly anywhere or are dropping or picking up family members visiting for the holidays, check with the airline before you head out. About 10 percent of the flights in and out of Bradley International Airport were cancelled yesterday due to the winter storm and airport officials said they expected to airport traffic to be down by about 50 percent today. 

4. Today is the deadline to register for youth basketball if you live in Old Lyme or Lyme. The original deadline had been extended to December 27. Residents must register with the Parks and Recreation Departments in their respective towns. Volunteer coaches are still needed for a variety of age groups. If interested, please contact Parks and Recreation. There will be a meeting for coaches on Saturday, Dec. 29 at 9:00 a.m. in the Old Lyme Town Hall Meeting Room. 

5. Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has extended the deadline to register for Storm Sandy disaster assistance from December 31, 2012 to January 28, 2013. 

If you need to replace appliances such as refrigerators, boilers, furnaces, hot water heaters, and additional commercial kitchen appliances damaged as a result of Storm Sandy, you have until December 31, 2012, to tap rebates for energy efficient equipment. These incentives have been increased by up to 50 percent. Visit EnergizeCT.com for rebate forms and additional information. Residents and businesses may also call 1-877-WISE-USE (1-877-947-3873) with questions.