Move vehicles to even side by midnight Sunday to avoid ticketing and towing
IMPORTANT: Parking is no longer allowed in school lots during snow emergencies; other municipal lots are still available for parking
Schools closed Monday. City Hall open at noon. Central & East Libraries open at 2 p.m.
SSOMERVILLE – Based on current weather forecasts, the City is declaring a snow emergency to go into effect at 8 p.m. on Sunday. Beginning at 8 p.m., cars will have 4 hours to move to the EVEN side of the street (unless signage on your streets says otherwise) to avoid ticketing and towing.
PLEASE NOTE: School parking lots are no longer available for parking during snow emergencies and gates will be locked at midnight Sunday. To avoid having your vehicle locked in the lot, ticketed, and towed, be sure to vacate all school lots before midnight. Other municipal parking lots are available for snow emergency parking. For a list of available City-owned parking lots, visit http://www.somervillema.gov/snow.
Again, as a reminder, this winter season cars must park on the EVEN SIDE of the street (unless otherwise posted). Ticketing and towing will begin at midnight for cars that are not moved to the correct side of the street. Parking restrictions will be strictly enforced. Please review posted signage on your street in advance.
Openings & Closings for Monday, March 4
Somerville Public Schools will be closed on Monday, March 4. Daytime Council on Aging activities are canceled. City Hall will be open at noon but all other City Offices will be closed. The Central and East Branch Libraries will open at 2 p.m. Evening programs at the Rink will be held as scheduled. The Kennedy Pool will be closed. School Committee is canceled. School Building Committee meeting is canceled. Other evening activities at City Hall will be held as scheduled. For the status of additional afternoon and evening activities, please call 311.
Trash and recycling pickup will remain on schedule.
Bike lanes and cycle tracks will be plowed as part of our snow removal; however, they may have snow or ice buildup during the storm and the hours immediately afterward. Please use caution when riding a bike and consider using other modes of transportation if you must travel.
For more information, please visit http://www.somervillema.gov/snow or contact 311.
GENERAL SNOW EMERGENCY INFORMATION
Sidewalk Shoveling:
To ensure safe passage for all, property owners are responsible for removing snow and ice from sidewalks abutting their property within 6 daylight hours of the end of snowfall.
Avoid Parking within 20 feet of an intersection
To leave enough clearance for plows and emergency vehicles, cars parked within 20 feet of an intersection may be subject to ticketing and towing if they are deemed to be likely to restrict access. This regulation is enforced as needed and is especially important to adhere to on narrower streets.
Snow Shoveling Assistance
The Somerville Teen Shoveling program is a paid program for youth to shovel out seniors or persons with disabilities after a snow storm in Somerville. Teens and homeowners are paired for the season. You must apply and be paired with teen shovelers well in advance of a storm. To enquire how to sign up for future storms, contact Christopher Hosman, Community Services Manager, 617-625-6600 x 2406 or chosman@somervillema.gov.
Driveway use & Careful parking
If you have access to a driveway, please consider using it during snow emergencies, or even sharing it with a neighbor or friend. When using on-street parking, please try to park to allow room for others where possible rather than using more than one space.
City alerts
Community members are encouraged to sign up for the City’s alert system at to receive emergency phone, email and/or text message alerts as well as important information for your neighborhood. Sign up for alerts at http://www.somervillema.gov/alerts or by calling 311 (617-666-3311 from cell phones or outside the city).
When and how are snow emergencies called?
A snow emergency may be declared whenever four or more inches of snow are predicted. City officials closely monitor multiple forecasts, factor in snow type, snow rate, temperatures, forecasts for the following days, and more. In short, they use all available advance information to make an informed decision; however, the decision must be made well before snow starts to fall. Generally, snow emergencies must start at least 6 hours prior to the start of snowfall to allow residents to time to move their vehicles, then provide time for ticketing and towing of vehicles blocking plows, and to allow time for treatment of roads before snow starts.
How to stay informed about snow emergencies
Once a snow emergency has been declared, residents are notified via multiple lines of communication, including: City alerts, City Cable TV (Comcast Ch. 15 & 22, RCN Ch. 13, 15, & 613), local media (online, radio, print, TV, etc.), City social media including http://www.facebook.com/SomervilleCity, http://www.facebook.com/311Somerville, Twitter @SomervilleCity and @311Somerville, the City website http://www.somervillema.gov, and flashing blue lights activated at 22 key intersections in the City (when lights are flashing, a snow emergency is in effect).