The Daily Five: Expect a Sloppy Commute And Don't Forget to Spring Ahead!

1. The snow may not amount to much more than three inches but it's still likely to be a slick ride to work in the morning. The overnight mix of snow and rain will continue today, tending more toward rain this afternoon. Weather.com is predicting a high temperature of 37 degrees and an overnight low of 29 degrees, with wind gusts up to 40 mph at times. Snow could continue into the evening. 

2. This storm has been hammering the East Coast pretty hard but locally it doesn't seem to be as bad as predicted. With coastal flood watches in effect until 10 a.m. today, Old Lyme Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Call Center is standing by just in case. Residents are encouraged to call (860) 598-0120 with any questions or storm-related concerns. Leave a message and someone will return your call.

East Lyme Public Safety will also be providing storm updates and information as needed.

For information about Lyme, check the town's web site. If the town does lose power and its internet connection, check with the Lymes Patch for updates. When the town is incommunicado, The Lymes Patch, our facebook page and twitter will be providing breaking news and information updates to local residents.   

There were no reports of power outages locally last night but if you do see downed wires or lose power, call and report the problem to CL&P at 800 286-2000.

3. The East Lyme Board of Selectmen decided to postpone their budget discussions that were to be continued yesterday to today. The Board will meet at Town Hall at 3:15 p.m.. The Selectmen are likely to take a vote on budget approval at that meeting. 

4. East Lyme Zoning Commission did meet as planned last night and voted to approve outdoor dining at a variety of restaurants in Niantic. For the most part, these were renewals of existing permits for Main Street Grill, The Lyme Tavern, Cafe Sol, and Charlie's Place—although the latter hasn't yet built the outdoor patio it has in mind. 

Cafe Sol's application for a permit to sell beer and wine also met with approval by the commission. The cafe doesn't intend to extend its hours, however. Unless there's some special event that might compel it to stay open until sunset, Cafe Sol plans to close at 4 p.m. as usual.

While I'm on the topic of local bars, East Lyme Police were called to break up what was initially reported as a large fight at Smokey O'Grady's in East Lyme at around midnight last night. I don't know if anyone was injured but no one was arrested, so it's not likely to show up on the police blotter. 

5. It may not feel like spring but we'll all be springing ahead this weekend. Don't forget to set your clocks forward one hour—and put new batteries in your smoke detectors while you're at it! The official time change for Daylight Savings happens at 2 a.m. on Sunday.