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Boston Officials Urge Caution During First Winter Storm Of The Season

Snow overnight Sunday will set the stage for a new storm Monday night and Tuesday. (Dave Epstein/WBUR)
Snow overnight Sunday will set the stage for a new storm Monday night and Tuesday. (Dave Epstein/WBUR)

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh on Sunday urged people to be careful during this week's winter storms that began Sunday afternoon and are expected to last into Tuesday morning.

"We are encouraging residents to use caution when traveling, assist older neighbors and those who are disabled, and keep up with the shoveling of their property throughout the storm," said Walsh.

Walsh also reminded residents and businesses about city rules related to clearing snow.

Property owners must fully clear snow, sleet and ice from sidewalks and curb ramps abutting their property within three hours after the snowfall ends or three hours after sunrise, if the snow ends overnight.

People were also urged to shovel out catch basins and fire hydrants, and warned that shoveling snow and ice from private property to the street or sidewalk is prohibited and can result in a fine.

As of Sunday afternoon, Boston had not issued a parking ban. City officials also said  public schools, city offices, public libraries and Boston Centers for Youth & Families will be open normal hours on Monday.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory or winter storm warning for much of the Boston area, stating that both the morning and evening commutes on Monday were likely to be impacted by the winter storms.

Walsh said the Public Works Department began pre-treating roads with salt Sunday afternoon and that the city currently has 48,000 tons of salt on hand.

The company that operates the MBTA's commuter rail system was also preparing for the storm Sunday.

“We’re closely monitoring the forecast and activating our Emergency Operations Center to coordinate the deployment of resources across the network,” said David Scorey, CEO and general manager of Keolis Commuter Services.

Passengers were urged to give themselves extra time to commute Monday morning and to be careful while walking on platforms and boarding trains. The T said service updates would be regularly posted here.

Keolis said more than 350 MBTA and Keolis workers will be ready to shovel, sand and salt passenger areas, as well as to respond to incidents that occur during the storm, such as downed trees.

This article was originally published on December 01, 2019.

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Fausto Menard Producer, All Things Considered
Fausto Menard is a producer for WBUR's All Things Considered.

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