Somerville Issues Snow Emergency Ahead Of Blizzard

SOMERVILLE, MA — Somerville is declaring a snow emergency Friday afternoon ahead of a potentially record-setting storm this weekend.

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning from coastal Massachusetts and the Cape to the I-495/I-95 corridor. The latest forecasts call for 18-24 inches of snow to fall overnight Friday until Sunday morning.

The snow emergency will go into effect at 4 p.m. Residents will have until 8 p.m. to move their cars to the odd side of the street, unless signs indicate otherwise, to clear a path for plows and emergency vehicles. Cars not moved by 8 p.m. may be ticketed and towed.

Municipal parking lots are also available for snow emergency parking. Cars may be moved to city lots starting at 4 p.m.

For a full list of available city-owned parking lots, visit somervillema.gov/snow.

School parking lots are not available for parking during snow emergencies, and gates will be locked at 8 p.m. Friday. To avoid having your vehicle locked in a school lot, ticketed, and towed, be sure to vacate all school lots before 8 p.m. Friday.

Cars parked in city lots must be moved within two hours of the end of a snow emergency. Snow emergencies can be lifted at any time, including during work hours, so if you are unable to move your car out of a city lot at potentially short notice, consider finding alternative parking.

Bike lanes and cycle tracks will be plowed as part of the city's snow removal, but they may have ice and snow buildup. The city it expects damage to flex posts during snow removal, and these will be replaced in the spring.

Open/Closed Services:

• Closed Saturday:
• City COVID-19 testing site
• School activities
• All Somerville Public Library branches
• Recreation Department activities
• Kennedy pool
• Ice rinks

For more information, please visit somervillema.gov/snow or contact 311.

General Snow Emergency Information

Sidewalk Shoveling: To ensure safe passage for all, property owners are responsible for removing snow and ice from sidewalks abutting their property within six daylight hours of the end of snowfall.

Avoid Parking within 20 Feet of an Intersection: To leave enough clearance for plows and emergency vehicles, cars parked within 20 feet of an intersection may be subject to ticketing and towing if they are deemed to be likely to restrict access. This regulation is enforced as needed and is especially important to adhere to on narrower streets.

Snow Shoveling Assistance: The Somerville Teen Shoveling program is a paid program for youth to shovel out seniors or persons with disabilities after a snowstorm in Somerville. Teens and homeowners are paired for the season. You must apply and be paired with teen shovelers well in advance of a storm. To enquire how to sign up for future storms, contact the Council on Aging at 617-625-6600 x2300.

Snow Emergency Parking Exceptions (Why some streets have even-side parking this season): A limited number of streets have even-side parking during snow emergencies always. Typically, these are one-way streets where year-round parking is only allowed on the even side due to space constraints. In some cases, they are streets that have parking on both sides of the street but that have no buildings on one side of the street for the duration of the plow route. In these cases, parking may only be allowed on the side of the street with homes. Please check signs on your street.

Plan Ahead: In winter, it’s always good to plan ahead. Once an emergency is declared, you will have four hours to move your car, so if you are traveling or working, park on the correct side before you leave just in case moving your car in time could be difficult.

Driveway Use: If you have access to a driveway, please consider using it during snow emergencies, or even sharing it with a neighbor or friend.

City Alerts: Community members are encouraged to sign up for the City's alert system to receive emergency phone, email, and/or text message alerts as well as important information for your neighborhood. Sign up for alerts at somervillema.gov/alerts or by calling 311 (617-666-3311 from cell phones or outside the city).

When are snow emergencies called? A snow emergency may be declared whenever four or more inches of snow are predicted. City officials closely monitor storm forecasts through various means, and use all available information to make an informed decision that takes into account forecasted snow accumulations, pavement temperatures, post-storm temperatures, existence of remaining snow from previous storms, and other factors.

How to stay informed about snow emergencies: Once a snow emergency has been declared, residents are notified via multiple lines of communication, including: City alerts, City Cable TV (Comcast Ch. 15 & 22, RCN Ch. 13, 15, & 613), local media (online, radio, print, TV, etc.), city social media, including facebook.com/SomervilleCity, facebook.com/311Somerville, Twitter @SomervilleCity and @311Somerville, the City website somervillema.gov, and flashing blue lights activated at 22 key intersections in the city (when lights are flashing, a snow emergency is in effect).