Mayor Walsh Announces Snow Emergency Beginning at 6pm, Cancels Boston Public Schools Tuesday and Wednesday

Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced today that due to the approaching blizzard a snow emergency will go into effect in the City of Boston on Monday at 6 p.m. and Boston Public Schools will be closed Tuesday, January 27 and Wednesday, January 28.

Information on the storm will continued to be updated on boston.gov/snow.

“Boston has been through blizzards before and I’m confident we are prepared,” said Mayor Walsh. “But a storm of this size poses a threat to the safety of our residents in many different ways, and we are taking it very seriously. We are implementing our emergency operations system, collaborating closely with the state, private utilities, medical facilities, and homeless shelters, and deploying all available resources across City departments. I urge everyone to do their part: to put safety first; stay off the roads as much as possible; to look out for their neighbors; pay attention to the restrictions, the information, and the warnings we are providing; and allow the City, state, and emergency services to do their work.”

Schools

Due to the forecast and expected clean-up efforts, the Mayor has called for all Boston Public Schools to be closed both Tuesday, January 27 and Wednesday, January 28. All after-school activities on Monday are canceled.

All Boston Centers for Youth and Families (BCYF) will be open from 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. both Tuesday and Wednesday. All are welcome, and children age 7 and older can be dropped off upon completion of a short intake form.

Parking

In order to allow plows to do their job, after 8:00 p.m. cars park on major roadways will be towed.

Minimizing the number of vehicles parked on our streets will allow snowplows to get to the curb and clear the snow. In addition, drivers are asked to park with safety in mind and refrain from parking in any manner that will jeopardize public safety, including, within 20 feet from an intersection, more than a foot from the curb, at handicap ramps, crosswalks and fire hydrants.

The City of Boston is opening its municipal parking lots to neighborhood residents for long-term parking during the storm. In addition, the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) has worked with private parking lot and garage owners in Boston to secure 15,500 free or discounted parking spaces for Boston Residents. Residents are asked to please remove vehicles from streets that are posted as “Snow Emergency” Arteries and park them in these alternate off-street locations.

Public Libraries

All Boston Public Libraries to be closed on Tuesday, January 27.

Helping the Homeless

Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) will continue to coordinate their city-wide network of emergency shelters, outreach providers, city agencies and first responders to assist the homeless during this impending storm. Shelters are kept open during the day for the safety and well being of our clients. Beginning Monday, the site at Southampton Street will also offer daytime hours. Throughout the storm, BPHC will encourage our guests to remain indoors in our shelter network for their safety.

Working with the Pine Street Outreach Team and Boston Healthcare for the Homeless, BPHC actively seeks out individuals and helps them find shelter during a cold snap, providing food, clothing, blankets, medical assistance to those in need.

All individuals seeking shelter should go to Central Intake, located at Woods Mullen Shelter – 794 Massachusetts Avenue in the South End at the corner of Melnea Cass Boulevard and Massachusetts Avenue.

Community Meetings

All community meetings for Tuesday and Wednesday have been canceled.

City Workers

In the City of Boston, only emergency operations personnel will be required to report to work on Tuesday.