Rare snow day on tap for state
'Hazardous conditions' expected during commute
If you’re able to work remotely, Tuesday would certainly be the day to stay home as the winter’s first significant snowstorm for the entire region is expected to wreak havoc on the roads.
Massachusetts school districts were starting to declare snow days ahead of the storm, which was set to arrive late Monday night and dump snow before the Tuesday morning commute. Some of the first Boston-area school districts that canceled ahead of time include Chelsea, Lynn, Salem, and Peabody.
“The morning commute will be pretty messy,” Bill Simpson, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Boston office, told the Herald. “People aren’t used to driving in snow so far this season, so they should be reminded to plan on extra travel time and to take it slow out there.”
Up to 5 inches of snow is possible for the Bostonarea, while up to 12 inches is possible in parts of the Berkshires and higher elevations near the New Hampshire border.
Snow was expected to spread into the Bostonarea around midnight, and the heaviest snowfall will fall early Tuesday before the commute.
“The hazardous conditions will impact the Tuesday morning commute,” the National Weather Service wrote in its Winter Storm Warning.
“If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency,” NWS added in its alert.
Snow should diminish in intensity Tuesday afternoon, and may even mix with or change to rain near the coast. Also, temps rising above freezing will likely limit the impact for the Tuesday afternoon commute.
Isolated power outages will be possible, especially after freezing rain last week damaged trees. The snow accumulation and wind gusts could further damage trees and knock down power wires, causing power outages across the region.
“National Grid has been monitoring the forecasts closely for multiple days, and we have secured additional crews and personnel across Massachusetts who are ready to respond as quickly and safely as possible to any impact this storm may bring,” said
Jeff Faber, director of New England Electric Operations.
National Grid has secured more than 450 fieldbased crews and more than 1,382 total personnel as part of the company’s emergency response operations.
With the exception of employees at the Registry of Motor Vehicles, Gov. Maura Healey has directed that non-emergency state employees working in Executive Branch agencies should not report to their workplaces on Tuesday due to the storm.
“Winter can be challenging for even most experienced drivers,” the RMV tweeted. “Be mindful of road conditions, don’t crowd plows, maintain a safe speed, leave plenty of space b/t your vehicle & the vehicle in front of you.”
With it being a pretty snowless winter so far, cities and towns reminded homeowners that they have to shovel snow from public ways.
“Please be advised: Property owners are responsible for clearing snow, sleet, and ice from sidewalks, walkways, driveways, entrances, and curb ramps abutting one’s property,” the City of Lowell tweeted. “Failure to do so may result in fines.”