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Scenes in downtown Hartford and West Hartford during a snowstorm in 2020. Credit: Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org

Yes.

Under Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 14-252a, those operating commercial and noncommercial vehicles can get fined for not removing snow and ice from the hood, trunk and roof.

Drivers of any commercial and noncommercial motor vehicle, as defined in section 14-1, must clear accumulated ice or snow so it doesn’t pose a threat to people or property while the vehicle is in motion. There is a $75 fine for violation if the snow or ice isn’t removed.

If the driver fails to follow the law and snow or ice causes injury to someone or property damage, commercial vehicle operators will be fined from $500 to $1,200 and noncommercial vehicle operators will face fines from $200 to $1,000 — for each offense.

Exceptions to this law are if the car is in motion when the snow, sleet or freezing rain began and continued, or if it is parked.

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Mariana Navarrete Villegas is a Community Engagement Reporter for The Connecticut Mirror, covering Hartford. She recently graduated from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism with a master’s degree in Bilingual Journalism. Previously, she was the Community Engagement and Video Assistant at Epicenter-NYC and a Podcast Intern at The Take, Al Jazeera English’s daily news podcast. As a reporter, she has covered stories from New York to Florida, California, Panama, and Mexico, focusing on labor rights, immigration, and community care. She also hosts 'La Chismesita,' a community radio show in New York that archives oral histories through conversations with women community leaders. Originally from Mexico, Mariana spent her teenage years in Panama. She holds a B.A. in Global Studies with a minor in Psychology from Saint Leo University, where she interned at the International Rescue Committee.