NO Snow Emergency for Sunday - Change in Forecasts Came Too Late for Appropriate Implementation

[somerville311.livejournal.com]

 

 

Unless conditions radically alter, the City of Somerville will NOT be declaring a snow emergency for Sunday, January 18, 2009.  Residents should, however, be sure that their cars are not parked within 20 feet of an intersection, because this impedes access for snow plows and other emergency vehicles.  Whether or not a snow emergency has been declared, cars in violation of the statewide ban on parking within twenty feet of an intersection may be subject to ticketing and towing.
  

Residents are also urged to take special care in parking as close to the curb as possible, despite the snow.  Residents, landlords and business owners are also reminded that they are required by city regulations to shovel their sidewalks within two hours of the end of the snowfall, but that they may not shovel snow into the street.
 

Late this morning, federal and state emergency management officials acknowledged an abrupt escalation of today’s snow accumulation forecasts by issuing winter storm alerts for the Boston metro area.  As late as 10 a.m. on Sunday, most forecasts predicted snow accumulations in Somerville of between 1-3 and 2-4 inches.  The same forecasts predicted that the snow would fall steadily but slowly all day long.  On the basis of these forecasts, city officials decided not to declare a snow emergency, but begin systematic plowing and salting operations early on Sunday morning.
 

By the time the National Weather Service and other forecasters had revised their snow accumulation predictions sharply upwards to between 8 and 10 inches, officials concluded that declaring a snow emergency (which includes a four-hour window for residents to move their vehicles) would allow the city to begin tagging and towing vehicles after the snowstorm had begun to wind down.
 

With these factors in mind, city officials have concluded that, unless forecasts are abruptly revised again this afternoon, the declaration of a snow emergency will not significantly improve the city’s snow management operations.
 

A copy of the city’s snow regulations may be viewed here.

Comments

[jovianconsensus.livejournal.com]

Alas! Our attempts to impose order on a chaotic world are for naught!

[studeronomy.livejournal.com]

Rawrsome!

Totally the right call

[reverend-jim.livejournal.com]

The Sunday before a quasi-holiday, lots of people going to bed last night thinking we're in for a dusting...it would have been chaos to make everybody scramble late this morning when heavier snowfall arrived, only to have the snow stop by the time everyone is moved/towed/ticketed. I ran some errands today - the streets were sketchy, but not crowded and consequently not too dangerous. Most streets are already clear now. Congrats to the City for not spazzing out and hassling its citizens unnecessarily!

Re: Totally the right call

[studeronomy.livejournal.com]

At first I agreed with this sentiment...until I woke up this morning to much, much more snow. Now there are huge portions of my street that are unplowed and will (presumably) remain unplowed until the next snow emergency. Yes, my neighbors and I can band together and clear the street...but holy shit, there's a TON of snow out there! I remember scurrying home to move my car for four inches earlier this winter. That pales in comparison to what we've accumulated over the past 24 hours.

OK, but now can the city remove the snow NOW?

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

...

Re: OK, but now can the city remove the snow NOW?

[winterhill.livejournal.com]

That would be nice. Even one good sweep down the even side of the street would mean we could park there once we get our cars out.

[rxrfrx.livejournal.com]

"Somewhere between 1-2 and 3-4 inches"

which is significantly different from "somewhere between 1-4 inches."

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

Well, we know there can't be 2.5 inches.

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

Maybe they meant "somewhere between 12 and 34 inches."

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

If there's no snow emergency, then why did a snowplow crew (in a Somerville Public Works Dept truck) yell at me this morning for parking on the even-numbered side of the street? That was JUST what I needed after a really hellish morning. Thanks guys.

[studeronomy.livejournal.com]

I hope you yelled back, or at least informed the neanderthals what their bosses failed to tell them.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Well no, actually I went "oh shit, there's a snow emergency on? I hadn't heard." And moved my car. Sigh.