Boston Public Schools Will Close Due to Nor’easter
For the second time in five days, BPS will have a snow day. Mayor Marty Walsh also announced a snow emergency will go into effect at 7 p.m. in Boston.
Photo via iStock/janniswerner
Less than a week after its last snow day, Boston Public Schools will shutter again on Tuesday due winter weather, Mayor Marty Walsh announced.
The mayor also declared a snow emergency beginning at 7 p.m. on Monday, at which time a parking ban will go into effect. Free and discounted lots will be made available starting at 5 p.m., and the city will begin ticketing and towing vehicles still on the streets at 10 p.m. Once the snow emergency is lifted, the 48-hour space-saver rule will go into effect in Boston, excluding the South End. Trash service is also suspended on Tuesday, and Public Library branches will be closed.
The mayor said the city likely hasn’t seen a storm like this since 2015.
“It seems like this one is going to be a big one,” Walsh said. “We’re getting ready for it and taking this one very seriously.”
Much of the eastern coast of Massachusetts is under blizzard warning through tomorrow evening, and the National Weather Service predicts the storm could dump up to 18 inches of snow on the Hub. Tuesday marks the fourth snow day of the year for BPS, Walsh said, and as a result, classes will stretch to June 26. Among others, Abington and Somerville Public Schools will be closed tomorrow, as will Cambridge Public Schools, which stayed open after last week’s nor’easter. Franklin Park Zoo and Stone Zoo will be closed on Tuesday as well, according to a press release.
The storm will severely impact travel, with visibility shrinking to a quarter-mile, according to the National Weather Service. Walsh asked drivers to stay off the roads, if possible, and said Boston Police officers will be available to escort doctors and nurses to work on Tuesday. Boston is “in good shape,” with 26,000 tons of salt Walsh said, and 700 pieces of equipment will be deployed during the height of the storm to keep roads clear.
The MBTA will run reduced service on the Red, Orange, Green, and Blue lines on Tuesday, and commuter rail service will be “extremely reduced.” Additionally, ferry service has been cancelled, and the agency announced it will replace the Mattapan Trolley with shuttle busses. Keolis is prepared with 70 backup power generators in the event that electricity is compromised during the storm, the company said in a press release.
Air travel around Boston has already been hobbled, and nearly 400 flights in and out of Logan Airport have experienced delays, according to FlightAware. The airport said on Twitter that some airlines are waiving change fees ahead of the storm.
Emergency personnel will be ready to respond to cold-related injuries, Walsh said, and outreach teams are already encouraging people to get off the streets and into shelters. The city will be issuing updates via the Alert Boston system and on its Twitter page.
This post was updated at 4:56 p.m. on March 12 with additional information on school closures and plane delays.
