Medford Declares Snow Emergency Ahead Of Friday Storm

MEDFORD, MA — The city will issue a snow emergency and parking ban Thursday night ahead of a late February storm that's expected to dump up to 12 inches on the Medford area.

The snow emergency will begin at 10 p.m. Thursday, with the following parking restrictions going into effect at that time:

• On secondary roads, parking is allowed on the ODD side of the street only. Cars parked on the even side of the street during snow emergencies will be ticketed and towed (unless the street has been granted an exemption by the Traffic Commission. See the full list at www.medfordma.org/snow).

• On main arteries, there is NO PARKING allowed on either side of the street. There is signage posted on these main arteries, and a full list of streets is at www.medfordma.org/snow. If you live on a main artery, you may park on a secondary road even if it is permit parking as these restrictions are temporarily lifted during a snow emergency. Once the snow emergency is lifted, parking enforcement will resume as usual.

• Cars may park in city lots, but must be moved by 7 a.m. on Saturday morning, February 26th.

City Buildings

• City Hall will be closed for in-person business on Friday. City staff will be available by phone and email to assist members of the public.
• The Medford Public Library will open at 1pm on Friday.
• The Medford Recreation Center will be closed on Friday and Saturday, and the LoConte Rink will be closed on Friday. For updates visit www.medfordrecreation.org.

Trash Pickup

Due to the President’s Day holiday, trash and recycling is already delayed one day this week. Due to Friday’s storm, trash and recycling pickup for the rest of this week will be delayed by one more day. The current proposed schedule is as follows:

• THURSDAY trash pickup: Will now be picked up on Saturday, 2/26
• FRIDAY trash pickup: Will now be picked up on Saturday, 2/26. If Waste Management cannot get to all of Friday’s route, Waste Management will return to those streets on Monday, 2/28.
• Week of 2/28: Waste Management hopes to be on a regular schedule, but may continue to be delayed into next week. If your trash pickup is missed on Monday or Tuesday, please leave your trash and recycling bin curbside and Waste Management will return to your street as soon as possible at the beginning of the week. We will update residents as we have more information to share.

Shoveling Information

Property owners must shovel their sidewalks within six daylight hours of the end of a snowstorm. Failure to do so may result in fines every day until the sidewalk is clear.

• Make sure to clear openings at corners, crosswalks, curb cuts and fire hydrants so pedestrians and emergency personnel can access areas efficiently.
• DO NOT shovel snow or ice into the street.
• If you need assistance with shoveling, the City publishes a list of available shovelers at www.medfordma.org/snow, or by calling the Medford Council on Aging at 781-396-6010. Available shoveling assistance is limited, so please refrain from using this list unless you or a loved one are elderly and/or are physically unable to shovel.

For all snow information, visit www.medfordma.org/snow.

A winter storm warning was issued everywhere but the South Shore and Cape Cod, which are under a winter storm watch, from 12 a.m. Friday to 12 a.m. Saturday. The National Weather Service says snow will start falling before dawn on Friday, gathering 1-2 inches per hour during the morning commute.

The latest forecasts from Thursday morning call for 8-12 inches of snow north of the Mass Pike, while precipitation will change to the wintry mix south of the highway.

Check back with Patch for updates throughout the winter storm.