Saturday, February 9, 2013
Do you agree with the governor's decision or was it too drastic?
All non-emergency drivers were ordered off the roads on Friday when Gov. Deval Patrick issued an executive order banning travel during the blizzard. (Editor's note: The ban is lifted statewide as of 4 p.m. Saturday.) Patrick's executive order is being praised by some and bashed by others, reported The Boston Globe. While former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, who was in charge of the commonwealth during the Blizzard of ’78, praised the governor’s move, others called the order “tyrannical” and say the strict ban and hefty fines were too much, according to The Globe. Those caught violating the ban would face up to a year in jail and a $500 fine. What do you think? Do you agree with the governor’s decision or do you think the travel ban …
Friday, February 8, 2013
Let's measure the blizzard through lawn ornaments!
We at Patch like to have fun – even when we’re covering a story as big as the Blizzard of ’13! So when the biggest storm in years (potentially in the history of Boston weather) is headed our way, we get into battle mode – and even get a little silly. That’s what this idea is about – and we want you to take part too! A fun way we want to track the storm across Massachusetts is through lawn ornaments. They serve a purpose in the spring and summer, but often feel left out in the cold of winter. Not anymore. We are posting photos of lawn ornaments throughout Massachusetts to highlight snowfall across the commonwealth during and after the storm. All you need to do is hit the Upload Photos and Videos button and upload your own. If we’re stuck at…
Boston requires property owners to clear walkways within three hours of the snowfall ending and to keep snow out of public roadways.
With the snow just starting to pile up outside, Charlestown residents may not be thinking about what happens after the storm. But city officials are. City of Boston regulations require that snow, slush and ice be removed from all sidewalks and curb ramps within three hours of snowfall ending, or three hours from sunrise if the snow stops overnight, according to the city website. Those found in violation will face fines every day until the situation is resolved. Failure to remove snow and ice from the sidewalk after a storm will result in a $50 fine for residential properties of 16 units or less, $100 for residential properties of more than 16 units and $200 for commercial properties. But you can't put the snow just anywhere. Fines are …
Non-essential vehicles are ordered to stay off the roadways from 4 p.m. Friday until further notice.
In addition to declaring a state of emergency in Massachusetts because of the weekend winter storm, Governor Deval Patrick on Friday signed an executive order banning all non-essential motor vehicles from the state's roadways. The ban takes effect at 4 p.m. Friday and will continue until further notice. According to the order, the ban does not apply to: "public safety vehicles and workers, including contract personnel; public works vehicles and workers, including contract personnel; government officials conducting official business; utility company vehicles and utility workers; healthcare workers who must travel to and from work in order to provide essential health services; news media; travel necessary to maintain and deliver critical …
With another historic storm expected to hit Massachusetts, here's a look back 35 years ago.
The Blizzard of 1978 has to be the most photographed and videoed winter storm in New England history. Images of stranded cars, battered coastlines and children playing in giant snowdrifts are all vivid memories of that historic storm. As New Englanders, we commemorated the 35th anniversary of the storm earlier this week—and now Mother Nature is celebrating herself with what could be one of the biggest snowstorms in history. As we hunker down for this storm, let’s take a look back at the Blizzard of ’78. Here are some fun videos from TV and radio broadcasts before, during and after the storm, as well as home movies on YouTube … And other footage from the storm … For updates and other information about the Feb. 8-9 winter storm, see …
Thanks to Winter Storm Nemo, Charlestown is expecting up to 3 feet of snow this weekend. See how many inches have fallen in your area with the live map below.
The map above, provided by the National Weather Service, shows snowfall in the past 24 hours. It is updated every six hours. This is not a map showing overall snow depth: It only tracks the amount of snow that has fallen in the past day. Measuring the snowfall in your own backyard? Share your numbers in the comments section below or tweet @CharlestwnPatch. For updates and other information about the Feb. 8-9 winter storm, see Charlestown Patch's storm center. CHARLESTOWN PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates
The winter storm is expected to build up steam after noon today, with the heaviest snowfall occurring during the Friday evening commute into Saturday.
Boston residents waking Friday morning expecting to see a blanket of snow will be surprised to see that the streets remain clear, with just the occasional flurry drifting down. But weather forecasters maintain: The storm is coming. And when it does, it may be bigger than previously expected. A National Weather Service blizzard warning update posted early Friday morning states that the "historic winter storm and blizzard" could drop up to 3 feet of snow on the area, rather than the 1-2 feet expected yesterday. The alert covers the Boston area as well as much of eastern and southern Massachusetts, southeastern New Hampshire and all of Rhode Island. The NWS alert calls for "heavy snow ... blowing and drifting at times" with quarter-mile …
Thursday, February 7, 2013
The subway, commuter rail and bus systems will all shut down at 3:30 p.m. because of the winter storm.
The MBTA will close down at 3:30 p.m. Friday because of the winter storm, according to an alert posted Thursday evening on the transit authority's winter advisory page. "Due to a severe winter storm forecasted to hit the MBTA’s service area, the MBTA will suspend all modes of service effective at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8," the advisory states. Regular MBTA service will operate "with significant delays" from the start of service Friday until the 3:30 p.m. cutoff, MBTA officials wrote. "With severe winds and heavy snow forecasted for metropolitan Boston, this decision has been made with the safety of customers and employees being the MBTA's top priority at all times," according to the advisory. "The suspension of service will also allow …
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Sullivan Square Station
1 Cambridge St, Charlestown, MA
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Community College Station
Austin St & New Rutherford Ave, Charlestown, MA
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White-out conditions are expected as the storm intensifies.
What began as a blizzard watch for Charlestown and the Boston area has now been upgraded to a blizzard warning. The National Weather Service issued the warning for the majority of eastern Massachusetts Thursday afternoon, as it anticipates about 2 feet of snow to descend upon the area Friday into Saturday. "White-out conditions are anticipated as roads become snow-covered by the Friday evening commute," the warning states. "Strong north-northeast winds are anticipated with gusts up to around 60 miles per hour, resulting in blowing and drifting of snow. Damage to trees and structures along with scattered power outages are anticipated." Residents can expect the potential of snow falling at 3-4 inches per hour and wind gusts of more than 20 …
The company has already activated its emergency response plan.
With a major winter storm expected to impact the Boston area beginning Friday, NSTAR announced on Thursday it will will activate its emergency response plan for a significant impact on the electric grid. “We’re well into our preparations for responding to potentially widespread power outages resulting from the nor’easter’s high winds and heavy snow,” said Craig Hallstrom, president of NSTAR Electric. “We prepare year-round for storms like this and stand ready to address damage to our system as soon as it becomes safe to do so.” NSTAR said 3,000 employees are currently preparing to assist in the storm reponse effort, and the company has also secured additional contractor line and tree crews. The company is advising customers to make …
JT
3:40 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013
People should use their common sense in situations like this--but there are always some who won't and will endanger others in the process. The ban was good in that respect, and the $500 fine certainly should have made folks think twice if they were hesitating over driving or staying home for no particular reason. However, the threatened jail time was absurd--and enough's been said about that here… more ›