Boston closes schools, state warns of treacherous roads ahead of Tuesday's nor-easter

Mayor Michelle Wu has declared a snow emergency for Boston ahead of a nor'easter that could drop up to a foot of snow on the city. Boston public schools, city buildings, BCYF and public libraries will all be closed Tuesday.

The snow emergency and parking ban goes into effect at 10 p.m., Wu announced in a Monday morning press conference. Streets with parking bans can be found on Boston's website, along with a list of free and reduced-price parking garages for cars that need to move off banned roadways. Those garages open two hours before the snow emergency begins.

Residents who shovel parking spots can put down space savers for up to 48 hours after emergency ends, except in the South End and Bay Village neighborhood. The mayor reminded residents that parking in Boston Public Schools parking lots is not allowed during snow emergencies and cars will be towed.

City trash pickup will still take place Tuesday, said Franklin-Hodge, but crews will begin garbage collection at 4 a.m. to get ahead of the heavier snow.

Speaking Monday afternoon, Gov. Maura Healey said non-essential state workers would work from home during the storm. She also asked residents to stay off the roads during the heaviest of snowfalls, expected during the late morning.

"What we're concerned about is this is during the week — it's during prime time, daytime hours," Healey said. "We're going to see snow fall at a rate of 2-3 inches an hour. It's gonna be wet, it's gonna be heavy, it's gonna be hard for plows to clear the snow."

Massachusetts has enough equipment and road treatment for Tuesday, but plows may not be able to keep up with the predicted rate of snowfall during the heart of the storm, according to Department of Transportation Highway Administrator John Gulliver. The state is coordinating with New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island on trucking restriction, he said.

Jascha Franklin-Hodge, Boston's chief of streets, said the city has just under 40,000 pounds of salt stocked up to to treat roadways and 850 pieces of snow removal equipment between the city and private partners.

The mayor and city officials pleaded with residents to stay off the road, both for safety reasons and to allow plows to work efficiently.

"This nor'easter will be quick, but it will pack a punch," said Franklin-Hodge. In addition to the 8 to 12 inches of snow expected in the Boston area, the storm aligns with high tide. That means there will be significant potential for coastal flooding.

Light snow will begin in the early hours of the morning Tuesday, with heavier snow beginning around 7 a.m. Snow is predicted to fall at rates of over 2 inches per hour, fast enough for snow to accumulate on roadways throughout the day, said Franklin-Hodge. The storm is predicted to taper off between 5 and 7 p.m.

Snow removal could last into Wednesday or Thursday because of the amount of snow forecasted, said Mike Brohel, Boston's superintendent of basic city services. But he said the city is well prepared to manage cleanup.

"This is nothing new in the city, it just feels new because our last major snow storm was roughly 25 months ago," Brohel said, before speaking about snow removal crews. "But the men and women are ready. We've got a good plan across all departments."

City officials emphasized that property owners are responsible for clearing sidewalks in front of their buildings within three hours of the end of the snow storm, or within three hours after sunrise if snow fall ends overnight. Boston's Chief of Emergency Management Shumeane Benford also asked residents to shovel out fire hydrants near their homes.

Emergency shelters will be open 24 hours a day and accept walk-ins, Wu said. The men's shelter is located at 112 Southampton St. and women's shelter is at 794 Massachusetts Ave. She asked Bostonians to check in with seniors, unhoused individuals and call 911 if someone outside seems to be in distress.