Framingham Patch Winter Storm Mars: What You Need To Know

Originally posted at 5 a.m. Updated last at 4:35 p.m.

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UPDATE from Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) in Framingham: “Heaviest portion of the storm has passed, although lighter snow will continue this evening, resulting in some incremental accumulation.”

Editor’s Note: I have about 3 inches of snow maximum in my Framingham neighborhood near the Ashland border.

The last update from the National Weather Service, had Framingham at 2 inches of snow at 3 p.m.

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Looking for something to do with the kids?

Framingham Patch blogger and Framingham mom Heidi McIndoo offers 95 #snowday activities.

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Mass Pike has re-opened. All lanes are available as of 2:40 p.m. says Mass State Police.

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At 1:30 p.m. Visibility has dropped for driving. If you must be out on the roads be careful. Many secondary roads ae not cleared.

In regards to snowfall totals, Falmouth has the most in the Commonwealth with 6 inches. Framingham is at less than 2 inches.

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1:20 p.m. Reports of a jackknifed tractor-trailer on Mass Pike eastbound in Framingham. Take caution if out on the roads.

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9:01 a.m. and snowflakes can be seen in south Framingham.

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As of 8:45 a.m. not a flake of snow in Framingham, but National Weather Service in Boston says it will start in MetroWest about 9 a.m.

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Loring Arena will be closed on Monday and will remain closed until further notices announced the Town of Framingham at 8:40 a.m.

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The Town of Framingham issued a snow emergency parking plan from noon Monday until 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9.

When a snow emergency is declared, parking is prohibited on all arterial roads in town. These roads are posted with red and white signs. View a list of arterial roads.

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At 7 a.m., Town of Framingham closes offices for Monday for non-essential employees. That means the Memorial Building, the Callahan Senior Center and the libraries will be closed.

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As of 6:30 a.m., Town of Framingham said it will do curbside trash collection on Monday.

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No snow on the ground as of 5 a.m., but Winter Storm Mars is expected to drop anywhere from 6 inches to a foot of snow in MetroWest including Framingham.

The National Weather Service in Boston declared a winter storm warning yesterday for the area from now until 8 a.m. on Tuesday.

This is expected to be a long-duration storm, with wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour.But there could be bands of snow of 1 to 2 inches per hour during the storm.

Parts of the Cape and Plymouth County are in a Blizzard watch. High tides are expected to cause coastal flooding along the south coast, Cape Cod and the Islands between 9 a.m.and 1 p.m.

In MetroWest, including Framingham, visibility could be reduced to a quarter of a mile once the storm hits.

Framingham Public Schools are closed, which means Saint Bridget School is also closed. The Christa McAuliffe Charter School was the first school to announce snow day #2, in Framingham. Keefe Technical School and Marian High School are also closed.

Both Framingham State University and MassBay Community College have said there will be no classes on Monday.

The Governor just before midnight on Sunday, closed state offices in 9 Counties, including Suffolk in Boston and Middlesex County, which includes Framingham.

Gov. Charlie Baker also Tweeted - “We encourage employers to consider allowing employees to work from home to reduce traffic volume and allow our road crews to clear roads.”

As of 6:45 a.m., Massachusetts is not in a state of emergency.

Courts in Middlesex County will be closed on Monday.

The MBTA is running on schedule at the moment, but Worcester Train 502 (5:20 am from Worcester) is operating 10-15 min late between West Natick and South Station due to a mechanical problem.

Framingham will have trash collection as of 5 a.m.

The National Weather Service in Boston updated its storm report for MetroWest around 4 a.m. It is predicting 6 to 10 inches of snow.

The snow is expected to start between 6 and 9 a.m., with heavy snow continuing through mid to late afternoon.

Snow intensity is expected to diminish in the evening but there may be very localized bands of moderate to heavy snow that persist along the northeast Massachusetts coast into the overnight hours.

The snow may be wet and heavy, which could cause downed tree limbs and wires, like Friday’s storm. Power outages could be possible.

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Please bookmark this page and Framingham Patch will post updates throughout the storm here.

If you would like news alerts throughout the storm, click here.​