By 7:30 last Friday morning, the National Weather Service (NWS) was reporting 8.1 inches of snow had fallen in Newtown. Most predictions had called for no more than 3 inches.

While snow continued locally until midmorning, NWS did not update its accumulation total by 6 pm Friday. It would be safe to say, however, that at least another inch of snow fell on Friday before the precipitation stopped.

Fortunately, roads were quiet for the morning commute.

Newtown’s school system had already announced the previous evening that classes would be cancelled, and Newtown Municipal Center and Community Center among other locations, posted delayed openings.

By late morning, town plows had been operating for hours and residents were also busy clearing the heavy snow, perfect for building a snowman, but tough for those trying to use a shovel.

This passing front brought far fewer crashes than just 48 hours earlier, when severe icing created dozens of incidents on local and regional roads.

By afternoon, residents and friends of all ages were enjoying the day off and freshly fallen powder, taking advantage of Treadwell Park’s hills, which were dotted with sledders taking their turns and obviously enjoying their brief but exciting rides.

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Associate Editor Shannon Hicks can be reached at shannon@thebee.com.