Blizzard 2013: Driving Ban Ends at 4 P.M. Today

Editor's note: Natick-centric updates on the blizzard, including cancellations and emergency notices will be posted here.

At 1:30 p.m., The Natick Mall announces they will remain closed for the rest of the day, but they plan to open on Sunday at noon, which is their normal hours on Sunday.

Saturday, 1 p.m. Gov. Patrick announces via his Twitter account that the driving ban will end at 4 p.m. today.

Saturday, 11:00 a.m. USPS cancels mail delivery in all of New England.

Saturday, Feb. 9 10:45 a.m. Please note that MetroWest Medical Center is open and fully operational. Leonard Morse Hospital in Natick can be reached 508-650-7000, while Framingham Union Hospital can be reached at 508-383-1000. If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911.

Also worth noting, very few Natick homes lost power over night. It hit about five percent for a brief period of time at one point, but for the most part less than one percent of Natick was without power.

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Natick's Emergency Operations Center opened at 2 p.m. today. It will remain open for the duration of the storm.

Gov. Patrick says all vehicles must be off the road by 4 p.m. He signed an Executive Order declaring a State of Emergency that says this.

Friday, Feb. 8 10:30 a.m. The Natick Police Department asks that people move their cars off the streets so the DPW can better clear the streets.

Friday, Feb. 8 8:30 a.m. The morning forecast puts snow totals closer to 3 feet of snow with the blizzard warning in effect until 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Thursday, Feb. 7 6:05 p.m. The National Weather Service issues a report stating that some areas in Southeastern Massachusetts, including Natick, will receive between 18-24 inches of snow.

NSTAR has recommended that people prepare a storm kit for use in their homes in case they lose power. Some of the items they suggest include flashlights and batteries, medications and bottled water.

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As we ready ourselves for and make our way through the blizzard, please use this story on Natick Patch to help out your neighbors. Know of a cancellation because of the weather? Let us know and we'll add it in the text, or you can add it yourself in the comments. Once the blizzard is underway, report poor road conditions or downed trees/impassable streets, here. We'll do the same.

We want to make sure that Natick stays connected. For live updates during the storm, be sure to  'like' Natick Patch on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

As you send us messages through social media and email (robert.rosen@patch.com), we’ll make sure the information is added to this story. If you notice hazardous conditions, please alert authorities and then let us know so we can spread the word quickly.

Natick Patch is all about connecting neighbors and helping neighbors, so we hope you’ll find this information hub helpful during the storm. Stay safe, Natick!

IMPORTANT NUMBERS & WEBSITES: 

• In an emergency, dial 911
• Police Department: 508-647-9500
• Fire Department: 508-647-9551
• DPW: 508-647-6550
• NSTAR: 800-592-2000
• NSTAR Outage Map