Daniel Pritchard
A snowy road in the East End of Watertown around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday.
{Updated on Jan. 4, 2018 at 2:38 p.m.}
With a foot or more of snow expected in Watertown, the Department of Public Works has announced a snow emergency starting at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, and Town offices and facilities will be closed on Thursday.
The Watertown Public Schools will be closed, Superintendent Dede Galdston sadid in an announcement:
“Due to the incoming snow storm, all Watertown Public Schools will be CLOSED tomorrow, Thursday, January 4. All school-related and extracurricular activities are canceled tomorrow as well.
Stay warm and be safe!”
Town officials announced the closure of Town Hall, the Watertown Free Public Library and Watertown Senior Center will be closed due to the storm.
Teddy Kokoros
The historic Browne House on Main Street is covered in snow early Thursday afternoon.
The Snow Emergency includes no parking on the street during the day. However, trash and recycling will be picked up on Thursday, but if conditions do not allow pick up on Thursday toters will be picked up on Friday.
Many inbound and outbound flights at Logan Airport have been cancelled. See the list here: http://www.massport.com/logan-airport/flights/#Arrivals/
The Boston Bruins announced at about 11 a.m. that the game Thursday against the Florida Panthers has been postponed.
Tonight’s #NHLBruins game vs. the Florida Panthers has been postponed: https://t.co/gpWAeQ12qt
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 4, 2018
See more information in the following release from the DPW:
Watertown is preparing for substantial snowfall with predicted accumulations of 8 to 16 inches beginning in the early morning hours of Thursday running throughout the day well into the evening hours. Snow Emergency The Department of Public Works has issued a snow emergency effective midnight, Thursday, January 4, 2018, to remain in effect until further notice.
Snow obscures the Watertown Police Station Thursday on the West Side of Watertown.
Parking Ban On street parking will be banned and any motor vehicle left on the street will be subject to towing. The snow emergency will remain in effect until further notice. Winter Off-Street Parking Residents are urged to use designated off street parking areas as listed below:
• Police Station at 552 Main Street
• Any public school parking lot
• Marion Road at Victory Field
• The lot at Boylston Street and Mt. Auburn Streets
• O’Connell Park (lot at the corner of Boylston St. and Mt. Auburn St.
Please remember – during a snow event, any vehicle parked at a school facility must be removed no later than 6 AM the day school resumes.
Paul Puleo
A smiley face in the snow outside the door of a reader from Waltham.
Trash/Recycling Collection Trash/Recycling will be collected Thursday, January 4, 2018. If conditions rapidly deteriorate, any items not picked up will be collected on Friday. Christmas trees will not be picked on Thursday, January 4th .
Additional Reminders
• During a storm travel conditions can be extremely poor and residents are advised to remain indoors.
• Please assist the Public Works, Fire and Police Department by keeping vehicles off the street and allowing our streets to be de iced and cleared from snow.
• Be patient as snow plowing operations are extremely difficult and time consuming.
• Please assist us in protecting your neighborhood by shoveling out the fire hydrant / drainage catch basins closest to your home or business.
• Remember the Public Works snow plow operators are working through extremely poor weather conditions trying to make every street accessible for public safety.
• Please do not attempt to stop the snow plow!
• Remember to keep furnace vents clear of snow to reduce risk of carbon monoxide.
• Downed trees and utility poles may create power outages in some areas.
• Do not throw snow into the street or block a sidewalk.
Updates regarding trash collection, parking restrictions and other town notifications will be posted at www.ci.watertown.ma.us and watertowndpw.org
Question: when will be next Christmas tree pickup if not Thursday?
Suggestion to town: “Midnight” is a little confusing re: which day. Common sense says you mean as of midnight tonight (not tomorrow/Thurs. night), but “12:01 am Thursday” is clearer.
Thanks for your efforts to keep things going and keep us informed!
Good point. It starts at 12:01 am Thursday. I try not to use tonight in case someone is reading it Thursday.
You should check with the DPW about the trees but it sounds like they will try to do pick up Thurs and will do the rest Friday.
There is a car parked in front of 61 Waverley Ave since right after the last storm. It doesn’t appear to have any tickets on its windshield. You can’t miss it, yet it is still there.
Quotation: “We always find it little strange when we take those first steps through the door of our crime scene house. You’d think that when people move from one house to another they would take all of their belongings with them. This is far from being true. Every house, and this is no exaggeration, we mean every house we’ve ever used, has had some form of Christmas decorations still there. Whether it is lights on the house, a wreath on a door, or a fully decorated tree still standing in the living room, the ghosts of Christmas past seem to be very alive in these vacant houses. We still haven’t figured out this eerie coincidence.”[ISBN 0-425-20752-8, p.46]