• Snow removal on sidewalks is controlled by municipal law in Connecticut.not finished image by Sorin Alb from Fotolia.com
  
  Connecticut is New England's southernmost state and its second smallest. Connecticut's weather is relatively mild and, on average, there are only 12 days per year that the temperature exceeds 90 degrees Fahrenheit and about six days per year that the temperature drops below 0 degrees. The first serious frost usually occurs in mid-October, and the winter season lasts until mid-April. Snow is a regular occurrence during the winter months and can accumulate in cities, towns and municipalities. There are laws pertaining to snow removal in Connecticut.
  
  

State Laws on Snow Removal from Sidewalks

• There is relatively little state law on the subject of snow removal from sidewalks in cities and towns. The state government of Connecticut has enacted legislation to leave such matters as snow removal, lawn height, etc., to the individual municipal governments within the state.
  
  

Municipal Law on the Removal of Snow from Sidwalks

• Under CGS Sec. 7-148 of state law, municipalities may adopt ordinances requiring property owners to remove snow and ice on their sidewalks and establish penalties for failure to comply and might even adopt ordinances about the transference of liability for damages associated with snow and ice on sidewalks to the property owner. Most municipalities have enacted such ordinances. However, should such an ordinance not exist, the homeowner is not responsible for keeping the sidewalk in front of the house in safe condition.
  
  

Snow Removal Requirements

• No statutes or regulations specify how soon after the snow stops a homeowner must clear his or her sidewalk. There are several court cases that address this issue:
  
  In Cusick v. City of New Haven, 148 Conn. 548 (1961), the state Supreme Court found that the city was not liable when a pedestrian fell at 6:45 a.m. following a nighttime ice storm, because it did not have enough time to become aware of the dangerous condition and remedy it.
  
  In Schroeder v. City of Hartford 104 Conn. 334 (1926), that the sidewalks had been icy for five days was sufficient to give the city adequate notice of the hazardous conditions.
  
  Regulations also do not address how wide of a path a homeowner must clear on his sidewalk.