1. There's a 90 percent chance of precipitation today, which could take the form of rain, or freezing rain and sleet that began as predicted after midnight last night. On the coast, we're most likely to see rain this morning. According to weather.com, we could get up to half an inch today. Temperatures are likely to peak at 39 degrees and drop to 31 degrees overnight, at which point the skies should begin to clear and the chance of rain will drop to about 20 percent.
2. With a name like Helen, today's winter storm doesn't sound particularly menacing but the National Weather Service is warning that she could bring a mix of sleet and snow, amounting to up to two inches of ice this morning. Freezing temperatures could make for some slippery roads during this morning's commute particularly if you're heading inland, with freezing rain likely during the early morning rush hour until mid-morning. Drive carefully!
3. Gov. Dannel Malloy will be in Norwich this morning to give a speech on the state of Connecticut’s economy and his budget plans for the upcoming legislative session in an event that is open to the public.
The breakfast event is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut and will be held at 7:45 a.m. on Wednesday in the Norwich Holiday Inn. The event costs $17 for members of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut and $25 for non-members. A $5 fee will be added on to walk-ins.
4. East Lyme Board of Selectmen meet tonight at 7 p.m. Items on the agenda include the authorization of a cooperative agreement to purchase electricity through the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, action regarding an insurance claim, and continued discussion of a noise ordinance for East Lyme.
5. After much debate, the U.S. House of Representatives finally passed the disaster relief package designed to help local residents, businesses, and municipalities recover from Superstorm Sandy. Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo issued the following statement following federal approval of aid for the region.
“We are grateful to those members of Congress who today pulled together in a unified, bipartisan coalition to assist millions of their fellow Americans in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut at their greatest time of need. The tradition of Congress being there and providing support for Americans during times of crisis, no matter where they live across this great country, lives on in today’s vote in the House of Representatives. We anticipate smooth passage when this package moves back to the Senate for final approval and for this long-awaited relief to finally make its way to our residents.”
