Newton Declares Snow Emergency, Parking Ban

NEWTON, MA — The city of Newton has declared a snow emergency. Beginning at 3 p.m. Monday, no cars will be permitted to park on the street or in municipal parking lots, in an effort to allow snow plowing.

It's unclear how long the snow emergency will be in place. According to Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, the city hasn't yet made the decision when to lift the emergency, citing the uncertain forecast.

Schools are closing early Monday, trash and recycling pick up will be delayed later this week.

Early Monday the National Weather Service issuing a Winter Storm Watch for much of New England, including Newton.

The flurries started to fall around noon Monday, but the Garden City could end up with as much as 18 inches of snow by Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

"A winter storm will likely impact the region Monday and Monday night, with lingering effects into Tuesday and possibly Wednesday. Heavy snow, strong winds and coastal flooding are the main concerns," the weather service said.

The service said snow was also likely to continue into Tuesday, before it turned into rain.

This article will be updated with all the pertinent information in one place.

What to know

Snow emergency: The city has not yet called an emergency. We will update that if it changes.

Generally, the Public Works Director calls a "snow emergency" when excessive amounts of snow are predicted. All cars are required to be removed from all roadways to allow for a better clearing job.

During a parking ban, there is no on-street parking permitted. Instead, officials ask that you park in municipal and school parking lots — or risk getting towed.

Trash collection: The city asks that you watch where you place your trash and recycling barrels, so they don't get knocked over by plows but leave it out on your scheduled day. However, do not be alarmed if it's not picked up on your scheduled day. The Monday route will be collected until noon Monday. Drivers will return to Newton tomorrow morning to complete the Monday route and begin collecting the Tuesday route. Some of Tuesday’s route will be completed on Wednesday and Wednesday’s route will be started – and so on as the week continues. Some of Friday’s route will be completed on Saturday morning. If it is not collected on your scheduled day, it will be collected the next day.

Schools: Schools closing early on Monday. The schedule is here. The city is considering making decisions about potential closures tomorrow at approximately 6 p.m. Monday. Updated information will be posted on the City website at newtonma.gov.

Generally, the school superintendent confers with the Public Works director about the road conditions and takes into consideration distances teachers have to come to get to school.

Other closures:

• City Hall will close Monday at 2:30 p.m. Posted Zoom government meetings will be held as scheduled.
• The Newton Free Library will close at 2 p.m.
• The Senior Center, which has remained close amid the pandemic, will stay closed.
• The Resource Recovery Center at Rumford Avenue will close at noon.
• The Grab and Go meals program will run as scheduled Monday.

Sidewalk snow shoveling rules: Residential property owners need to clear the sidewalk in front of their property within 24 hours of a storm’s end. Businesses have less time, needing to shovel the front of the property within 12 hours of a storm's end.

Want to report an unshoveled sidewalk? Use the 311 system or call customer service at 311 or 617-796-1000.

Don't push snow on the sidewalk or street: Contractors are responsible for making sure the snow they clear from parking lots or private property is not pushed onto a sidewalk or into the street. If you see a City Contractor do this, please call 311 and report it so it can be cleared. If you witness a private contractor pushing snow onto a sidewalk or into the street, please call the police on their non-emergency number which is 617-796-2100. The contractor can be fined.

Property owners will receive one warning every 365 days before receiving a fine if their sidewalk is left uncleared and is reported into the City’s 311 system. City employees will respond to the called-in complaints, take a photo of the violation, and issue a warning or fines. Fines are $50 and will be repeated every 24 hours until the sidewalk is cleared.

Other key info:

• Check www.newtonma.gov for updates on the timing of snow emergencies, potential building closures. You can report snow related issues on the 311 website or by using the 311 app.
• Emergencies should be reported by calling 911.
• If your power goes out, report it directly to Eversource here, or call 877-659-6326.
• All residents must clear their sidewalk within 24 hours of the end of the storm.
• If you need assistance during the storm, leave a message at the City Hall Customer Service number: 617-796-1000.

What the National Weather Service says:

Monday—Snow, mainly after noon. The snow could be heavy at times. High near 33. Northeast wind 6 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches possible.

Monday Night— Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Low around 32. Breezy, with a northeast wind 17 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 6 to 10 inches possible.

Tuesday—Rain and snow before 8am, then snow likely between 8am and 9am, then rain and snow likely after 9am. High near 36. North wind 10 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Tuesday Night—A chance of snow showers before 8pm, then a chance of snow showers after 9pm. Cloudy, with a low around 28. Northwest wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Wednesday—A slight chance of snow showers before noon. Cloudy, with a high near 35. Northwest wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Got a cancellation? Got a storm photo? Send it to me at Jenna.Fisher@Patch.com.