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Despite the snow, much of Mass. declared in critical drought
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This past weekend’s storm dumped 5.4 inches of snow on Boston, but the biggest totals went to Methuen and Orange with 7.5 inches.
Speaking of snow…
Talk about a dry January: Despite the heaps of snow and slush, much of Massachusetts is considered to be in a critical drought. State officials made the declaration Friday, following a month of below average precipitation. The “critical” status covers Boston and the north east region, as well as Worcester and all of central Massachusetts, WBUR’s Dan Guzman reports. (See the map here.)
- By the numbers: Since early January, most of the state received 1-2.5 inches of rain and snow, but that’s 1-3 inches below normal, according to state officials. Overall, most of the state has been in a 8-13 inch precipitation deficit since August.
- But what about the recent snow? It helps — but not as much as you may think, according to Vandana Rao, head of the state’s drought management task force. “Right now the ground is pretty frozen, so the snow will take some time to melt and start to hopefully slowly seep through the ground,” Rao told reporters. “But any amount of precipitation honestly is really helpful.”
- What does this mean for me? Because water use tends to go down in the winter, state officials aren’t expecting any local water restrictions. However, if you’re in a critical zone, here are some tips to conserve.
- Go deeper: Since 2016, winter droughts have been as common as summer droughts in Massachusetts (and we’ve been experiencing more flash droughts). They just tend to go unnoticed when it’s cold. “We associate a drought with high temperature [or] a dry period, perhaps because that’s when we start seeing more impacts,” said Rao.
It’s Boston vs. Boston: Last night’s Super Bowl wasn’t the only heavyweight sports matchup this week. The final of the men’s Beanpot college hockey tournament is tonight at TD Garden, with the nation’s top-ranked team, Boston College, taking on No. 8, Boston University.
- How they got here: Both teams blew past their opponents in last week’s semifinals. BC beat two-time defending champions Northeastern 8-2, while BU routed Harvard 7-1.
- What’s at stake: BC hasn’t won the men’s Beanpot since 2016 (a win over BU). Meanwhile, BU last hoisted the pot in 2022. The terriers are the all-time tournament leaders with 31 Beanpot championships; the Eagles have the second-most at 20.
- Know before you go: The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. You can watch the game on NESN, ESPN+ or tune into WEEI 850 AM for coverage. A last-minute ticket to the game will run you at least $105.
Attention riders: Shuttle buses will replace Green Line service between North Station to Union Square and Medford/Tufts stations today after a Green Line collision this weekend.
- What happened? According to the MBTA, a train carrying five passengers collided with an out-of-service, stationary train at East Somerville station at 12:30 a.m. Sunday, amid heavy snowfall. Four T operators and one passenger were sent to the hospital (and have since been released). It’s not clear when service will be restored, as transportation safety officials investigate what happened.
Cuts to scientific funding: On Friday, the Trump administration announced the National Institutes of Health plans to cut billions of dollars from grants that scientific and biomed research recipients spend on administrative overhead. Researchers in the Boston area are now assessing the potential impacts of the cuts, slated to take effect today.
- What could this mean for Mass.? It’s not super clear, and the new rules around indirect research costs were “purposefully vague,” said Paul Anderson, the Chief Academic Officer for Mass General Brigham. But we do know Massachusetts received $3.5 billion in NIH grants last year, according to Sen. Ed Markey, and while Congress passed a law to ensure administrative costs were covered in these grants, he’s worried about the research’s future. “If we don’t have funding for this research, then it’s going to have a negative impact on every family that’s worried about Alzheimer’s and cancer and diabetes,” Markey said. “They are all going to have to worry the cures are not going to be found.”
ICYMI: Gov. Maura Healey says she plans to run for reelection next year. “There’s a heck of a lot more to do,” Healey said Friday during an interview with GBH. There are no declared challengers yet, but Sen. Peter Durant, a Republican, and Mike Kennealy, the cabinet secretary for former Gov. Charlie Baker, have both publicly expressed interest in the big seat.
P.S. — One way to honor Black History Month? Accept the “Black Restaurant Challenge” and support this list of local, Black-owned restaurants. (A good excuse to go out to eat? Yes, please.)
