What To Know About The Snow In Wakefield

WAKEFIELD, MA — Just when you thought 2020 might let you out, it snows you back in.

With more than a foot of snow possible in the Wakefield area overnight Wednesday, here are some things to know about how the snow might affect you once you are all stocked up on milk, bread and maybe a few warm, holiday treats.

Schools Remote

Wakefield Public School buildings will be closed and students will participate in remote learning on Thursday, Dec. 17. The district will watch the weather throughout the day on Thursday to see if the in-person schedule needs to be adjusted for Friday.

"With tomorrow being the first snow day in this very different year, our plan is to see how the day goes with our remote learning plan," administrators said. "If we find that the day is overwhelmingly problematic for families and staff or if attendance is significantly low, then we will make adjustments as necessary."

Snow Emergency Declared

In preparation for the upcoming storm, a parking ban has been issued from 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 16 to 7 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 18. All parked cars must be removed from the roadways to allow plowing crews and public safety vehicles to safely access the roads and perform curb-to-curb cleanup.

If your residence does not have a driveway, you are encouraged to connect with your landlord for parking options or coordinate with a neighbor who has extra driveway space.

The Town Hall building will be closed, but staff will still be working and available via phone and email. The Department of Public Works and Fire Department appreciate your assistance helping them clear catch basins and hydrants near your home.

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Snow Removal

Town bylaws require the owners of commercial property and multi-family (4+) residences to clear the sidewalks abutting their properties of snow within 24 hours after a storm has ended. If you have any concerns about any road or sidewalk conditions, please report it to the DPW for followup.

Trash/Recycling Delayed

Trash and recycling pickup will be delayed by one day for the rest of the week. If your normal trash day is Thursday, it will be picked up on Friday this week. If your trash day is Friday, it will be picked up on Saturday.

How Much Snow Will We Get?

Snow will start falling across Massachusetts between 7 and 11 p.m. Wednesday, and by the time it ends midday Thursday, most parts of the state will have been blanketed with 8 to 14 inches, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service in Boston.

Snow will be light and fluffy in most parts of the state, but it could be heavier and wetter in southeastern Massachusetts and on Cape Cod.

Cape Cod will see lower snowfall totals than the rest of the state, with rain mixing in with the snow early Thursday morning. Wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour mean several parts of Massachusetts could see blizzard conditions.

Snowfall will be heaviest between midnight and 8 a.m. Thursday. The snow will stop between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Thursday as the storm moves from west to east across Massachusetts.

(Anyone with fun, socially distanced snow photos can send them to alex.newman@patch.com for possible publication. Please include permission for Patch to publish the photos.)

Check back with Wakefield Patch for updates on how the snowstorm will impact your community.

>>>See Also: MA Snowstorm: Road Cleanup Could Take Longer Than Usual