Saturday, February 16, 2013
The issue of plowing private ways cropped up during the Blizzard of 2013, and now the Town Council will tackle it.
The Blizzard of 2013 dumped more than 2 feet of snow on Watertown's streets, but some residents said their street were not made as high a priority as others. Residents of private ways in town complained that the snow was not removed as promptly as past storms. The Town Council will now explore the town's snow plowing policy when it comes to private roadways. The town does not have to repave these roads, but they have removed snow so that ambulances, fire and police vehicles can get to homes on these streets during an emergency. What do you think? Should the town be plowing snow off private streets? Should they get as high priority as other roads in town? Share in the comment section below.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Let's measure the blizzard through lawn ornaments!
We at Patch like to have fun – even when we’re covering a story as big as the Blizzard of ’13! So when the biggest storm in years (potentially in the history of Boston weather) is headed our way, we get into battle mode – and even get a little silly. That’s what this idea is about – and we want you to take part too! A fun way we want to track the storm across Massachusetts is through lawn ornaments. They serve a purpose in the spring and summer, but often feel left out in the cold of winter. Not anymore. We are posting photos of lawn ornaments throughout Massachusetts to highlight snowfall across the commonwealth during and after the storm. All you need to do is hit the Upload Photos and Videos button and upload your own. If we’re stuck at…
With another historic blizzard hitting Massachusetts, let's take a look back at the Blizzard of '78.
The Blizzard of ’78 has to be the most photographed and videoed winter storm in New England history. Images of stranded cars, battered coastlines and children playing in giant snowdrifts are all vivid memories of that historic storm. As New Englanders, we commemorated the 35th anniversary of the storm earlier this week – and now Mother Nature is celebrating herself with what could be one of the biggest snowstorms in history. As we hunker down for this storm, let’s take a look back at the Blizzard of ’78. Here are some fun videos from TV and radio broadcasts before, during and after the storm, as well as home movies on YouTube… Let’s start off with the TV news weather reports Here’s a radio broadcast from WBZ An old WEEI broadcast during …
Check here for updates from Patch, public safety personnel and residents as Massachusetts rides out the Blizzard of 2013.
New England may be in shutdown mode as a giant blizzard barrels through the area, but the conversation is alive and well on Twitter and the rest of the Web. Follow our live chat from Friday morning through the duration of the storm for updates in your neighborhood and around the rest of the state. Patch editors will provide continuous updates, and Twitter feeds from public officials, safety personnel and residents will let you know what's happening outside your window. If you'd like to ask a question during the chat, simply add it in the comment section above. We can't get to every question but will try our best to provide as much information as we can.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
White out conditions are expected as the storm intensifies.
What began as a blizzard watch for the Watertown area has now been upgraded to a blizzard warning. The National Weather Service issued the warning for the majority of Eastern Massachusetts Thursday afternoon, as it anticipates about 2 feet of snow to descend upon the area Friday into Saturday. "White out conditions are anticipated as roads become snow-covered by the Friday evening commute," the warning states. "Strong north-northeast winds are anticipated with gusts up to around 60 miles per hour, resulting in blowing and drifting of snow. Damage to trees and structures along with scattered power outages are anticipated." Residents can expect the potential of snow falling at 3-to-4 inches per hour and wind gusts of more than 20 miles per …
Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald announced that the schools will be closed Friday.
The Watertown Public Schools will be closed Friday due to the major winter storm heading into town on Friday. The town schools made the list of closings on WHDH Channel 7's website. Follow Patch's Storm Center for more information during the storm, and check out the list of cancellations and closings.
The heaviest part of the storm has blown through Watertown, but the impact of the Blizzard of 2013 will continue to be felt.
The Blizzard of 2013 crept into Watertown Friday morning, but really kicked up in the late afternoon and early evening. Wind and snow took out power to nearly half the town. [NOTE: Follow Watertown efforts to dig out after the Blizzard of 2013 by clicking here.] [Updated Saturday, 4:06 p.m.] The Boston Bruins have canceled their game tonight against Tampa Bay. Previously they had pushed it back, but it will be pushed back. A make up date has not been announced. [Updated Saturday, 3:44 p.m.] The main roads look ready for the driving ban to end - and some drivers have jumped the gun and hit the streets already. Side streets in Watertown have snow on them, but not a ton. Getting your car out is the challenge. With drifts and snow plowed up …
With the blizzard on the horizon, events are being cancelled and offices are being closed already.
The specter of Winter Storm Nemo has people preparing early for the expected heavy snow storm to hit Watertown, and some events have already been cancelled and offices closed. Here is the list of closures and cancellations in and around Watertown: Sunday's Watertown Democratic caucus will be postponned due to the storm, announced Steve Owen, chairman of the Watertown Democratic Town Committee. It is tentatively rescheduled for the weekend of March 9-10. The Watertown Public Schools will be closed Friday. The MBTA will stop running all bus, subway and train service at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Waltham District Court (and all Massachusetts Courts): Closed 3 p.m. Friday. Also, All first day jurors scheduled for Springfield, Woburn, Somerville, …
Here's the latest on how you need to prepare for the potential blizzard in Watertown.
Looks like Nemo is going to find us ... (Come on, you knew we couldn't get through this storm without at least one Pixar reference). As the day of Winter Storm Nemo's arrival draws closer, the forecasts aren't getting any less hairy. Looking at a couple of accumulation maps reveals that 16 inches for the Watertown area appears to be the bare minimum. Eighteen inches minimum actually shows up on more maps, and the maximum numbers are at two feet or more. Fox 25 meteorologist Kevin Lemanowicz told Patch via a tweet that he'd recommend people head home by 3 p.m. Friday ("to be safe"), especially if they plan to use the T. If you drive to and from work, plan to be home around noon, Fox 25 Meteorologist Shiri Spear said on a morning newscast. …
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Three and a half decades ago Watertown was blanketed with more than two feet of snow.
On Feb. 6, 1978, the Boston area was blanketed with a record 27 inches of snow, with the added bonus of hurricane force winds. The storm began the morning of Feb. 6 and lasted through the following evening. It was a storm that was never really predicted to be so large, and yet from it one good thing came – we learned about emergency preparedness. The snow came down so quickly (at a rate of an inch an hour) thousands of motorists were stranded in snowdrifts as they drove down Rte. 128. Roads throughout the state were impassible and cars were abandoned at every turn. The storm not only caused chaos, it also took more than a dozen lives, including Daniel Scadding, who died in his car in Watertown, according to blizzardof78.org. For those of …
Nathanael Pine
9:51 am on Saturday, February 16, 2013
ESL makes a good point. These people pay real estate taxes so they are entitled to have some city services. I think there should be an addendum to the article to define what a private way is and how it got to be that way in the first place. more ›