Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Are you satisfied or frustrated with how the city handled the area’s fifth largest snowstorm in history? Let us know by posting a comment below.
Now that the snow has fallen, and started to melt, it’s your time to rate how the city’s plows handled the more than two feet of snow that fell Friday and Saturday. You can also weigh in on the plowing of city municipal lots as well as the sidewalks and crosswalks the city handles during a storm. Feel free to give praise or thanks, express frustrations or offer up constructive criticism in the comments section below, and keep in mind, the blizzard was the fifth largest snowstorm in New England history. For more local blizzard coverage, check out our Newton Storm Center. Related discussion:
Monday, February 11, 2013
We've got some rough estimates, but we need your measurements!
There's no doubt about it -- the recent blizzard left quite a bit of snow for Newton to clean up. But how much snow? Although the National Weather Service does not have an exact total for Newton, snowfall amounts have been recorded for several surrounding towns, including Waltham, Brookline, Wellesley and West Roxbury. Averaging the snowfall provided by towns that border Newton (Brookline, Waltham, Wellesley and West Roxbury), the city likely received around 25 inches, or just over two feet. Did you take snowfall measurements in Newton? How much snowfall did the city get? Tell us in the comments section below! In the meantime, here are the snowfall amounts for the nearby cities and towns (provided by the National Weather Service): For …
Many parents and teachers took to social media Sunday night to express their opinions about Monday's school cancellation in Newton.
After the Friday-Saturday blizzard dumped nearly two feet of snow on Newton, school officials decided Sunday night to cancel school for Monday, Feb. 11. Once the announcement was made, several parents and teachers took to social media to express their opinions on the decision to cancel school. Here's a sampling of what we saw: @ctanowitz: Wish #Newton schools would give a reason for closing schools in the phone message. Parents aren't happy. Cc: @14thVillage @NewtonMAPatch @Mr_Martenis: @ctanowitz @NewtonMAPatch #Newton Teachers are frustrated as well. @dlluce: @Mr_Martenis @ctanowitz @newtonmapatch how about the safety of the children comes first. I think that's the best reason EVER. @traxbrah: #Newton students are happy @NewtonMAPatch @…
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Power outages were minimal during the storm, according to city officials.
The snow is here, and Patch wants to see your photos! Simply click the "Upload photo and video" button below.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Remember, the overnight winter parking ban is still in effect.
City of Newton officials announced this evening that the Newton snow emergency will be lifted as of 8 p.m. Now that the snow emergency is lifted, cars can be parked once again on city streets and in municipal lots. However, officials urged residents to make every effort to stay off the roads, if possible. The regular, overnight winter parking ban is still in effect. Under this ban, cars cannot park on Newton streets for more than one hour between 2 a.m. - 6 a.m. Looking for more weather updates from Newton Patch? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, or sign up for our email newsletters. Follow the latest on the storm in the Newton Patch Storm Center and remember to upload your photos to our Newton blizzard photo gallery. (Please and …
Power outages were minimal during the storm, according to city officials.
[Update 7:24 p.m. - The city has lifted the snow emergency and parking ban as of 8 p.m. Saturday] -- As the historic February 2013 blizzard winds down, Newton city officials are urging residents to stay home, if possible, as crews continue to clear roads, sidewalks and municipal parking lots. "If [residents] do not need to be out, please stay home," Mayor Setti Warren told Newton Patch this afternoon. "We have a lot of work to do." The city-wide parking ban and snow emergency will remain in effect for the time being, officials said, and the city's emergency operations center at Newton Fire Headquarters will also be in place through Sunday morning. Newton DPW Commissioner Dave Turocy reported Saturday that all streets are open and …
The transit shutdown will continue indefinitely.
The now two-day blizzard that has crushed Newton has caused the MBTA to stay shut down through Saturday. “Due to the impacts of a severe winter storm, MBTA service will remain suspended on all modes Saturday, February 9, 2013,” says a post on MBTA.com. MBTA personnel will be clearing tracks in an effort to get the subways, commuter rail trains and buses back up and running. The MBTA does not have an estimate on when service will resume. For more Newton storm information, check out our Newton Storm Center for all the updates you need. You can also receive Newton storm updates by following us on Facebook, Twitter or our email newsletters.
The Saturday suspension of mail delivery debate applies to today, but not because of USPS budget problems!
You may be wondering if there'll be any new mail in your mailbox today (that is, if you can even make it to your mailbox with all this snow.) The answer is that mail service in all of New England — not just Massachusetts — has been suspended, according to the Huffington Post. The ban extends throughout all six New England states. The unusual decision was made due to safety concerns, according to Postal Service spokeswoman Christine Dugas. The decision came after over two feet of snow falling throughout much of New England made many roads impassable, she said. Dugas reminded people to clear around their mailboxes or paths to their homes by Monday, when mail delivery will resume. For more Newton storm information, check out our Newton Storm …
The snow should begin to taper off this afternoon.
The snow came down in sheets beginning at about 7 p.m. last night, and it will continue through the morning. According to the National Weather Service, snow will continue until 1 p.m. or so, with a possible 4 to 8 inches of additional accumulation. Although the high temperature is forecasted to be around 24 degrees, winds between 20-25 mph will bring wind chill temperatures down to around zero. For more Newton storm information, check out our Newton Storm Center for all the updates you need. You can also receive Newton storm updates by following us on Facebook, Twitter or our email newsletters.
Naomi Olson
2:23 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
I feel that the plows did a good job. The larger issues were with sidewalks especially at corners, bus-stops and hydrants and with private companies ploughing snow into already cleared streets. The former problem -- which is far more serious -- probably cannot be efficiently solved simply by throwing public funding at it. How can we motivate citizens who own snowblowers to adopt a corner or bus … more ›