Plymouth County Braces For Snow Emergency: What To Know

PLYMOUTH, MA — Towns across the South Shore are preparing for the upcoming potentially record-breaking nor'easter set to hit Massachusetts Saturday.

The Plymouth Fire Department issued a snow emergency Friday night, Jan. 28 through Sunday morning, Jan. 30. Snow accumulations of as many as 18-24 inches are possible, with wind gusts potentially as high as 70 miles per hour.

The National Weather Service issued a Blizzard Warning for southeast Massachusetts, Plymouth County from 7 a.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Sunday.

Due to the significant nature of the snowstorm, a parking ban will begin at 5:00 a.m. on Saturday and continue through 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, Plymouth police tweeted.

For a map of the Parking Ban Zone and the Town’s public off-street parking lots, please visit the Town's website here.

The Pembroke Police Department also issued a parking ban from 8 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Sunday on all streets. Pembroke police are also warning residents to expect power outages.

Power restoration dispatch is automated and begins in areas most affected – if you want to increase your chances of shortening a power outage, you must call and report your home/neighborhood to be prioritized for power restoration.

More coverage: MA Blizzard: Record-Setting Snowfall Projected In Parts Of State

The storm has some forecasters comparing it to the blizzard of '78, which brought high winds, coastal flooding, and heavy snow to the region. 73 people were killed in Massachusetts and 26 in Rhode Island, the weather service said.

Travel conditions are expected to be very difficult to impossible, and strong winds could cause tree and property damage. Strong winds may also lead to power outages, Plymouth's Fire Chief G. Edward Bradley said Friday.

Chief Bradley is warning residents not to leave the house without a fully charged cellphone, car charger, and an emergency supplies kit in their car. Ensure your kit includes additional layers of clothing and non-perishable food, he added.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation issued a statewide driving ban on Saturday.

In addition, Peter Ban Bus Lines announced Friday that it was canceling all service Saturday "due to the impending storm."

Friday morning, Scituate Fire Chief John Murphy issued an evacuation advisory for people who live on the water."We asked all our coastal residents to consider leaving, but we're not mandating it," Murphy said in a statement. "There are going to be 20-25 foot waves in the high tide."

Outages may be reported online at Eversource.com, or by calling 800-592-2000. Customers who sign up for the company's two-way texting feature can send a text to report an outage and receive outage updates as they happen.

Officials also emphasized how important it was to stay away from downed wires and to report them to 911 immediately.