As central and western Massachusetts cities and towns brace for an all-day snowstorm and possible accumulation of more than six inches Tuesday, residents are urged to take safety precautions.
In a winter storm warning published Monday, the National Weather Service advised that communities including Athol, Barre, Orange and Greenfield may be hit with snow from 7 a.m. Tuesday until 7 a.m. Wednesday.
“Heavy snow is expected. Total snow accumulations between 6 and 9 inches,” the advisory stated. “Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday morning and evening commutes. Significant accumulation of wet, dense snow weighing on trees and powerlines could cause them to be downed.”
The National Weather Service also advised those who must travel to keep a flashlight, food and water in their vehicle in case of an emergency. Road condition information can be found at www.511.org.
David Hayes, the region’s “Weather Nut,” called Tuesday’s storm, “an early season elevation-dependent winter storm.”
This means, he said, that communities located above 1,000 feet in elevation can expect to receive steeper rates of snowfall than those southernmost communities. Towns such as Leverett, Shutesbury and Plainfield are expected to receive between 5 to 9 inches of snow.
Meanwhile to the south, communities such as Amherst may see a wintry mix of rain and snow, or just rain, in the afternoon hours. Hayes projects that accumulation will add up to about 2 to 5 inches in these communities. Even further south in Hartford, he expects conditions to be predominantly rainy.
Hayes said that since the storm is low pressure, it will, “make a beeline” north and head to southern Vermont, New Hampshire and later Quebec, Canada.
Athol prepares for the storm
Athol Public Works Director Dick Kilhart said he has a full crew, a shed full of de-icing material, and his mechanics have gotten his trucks and plows ready to go. In fact, said Kilhart, his crews have been involved in a few “practice runs.”
“We’ve been out a few times already,” he said. “Last week got a little bit of weather and we had to treat the bridges one night, and on the Friday before Thanksgiving we actually got an inch of snow in some of the higher elevations – Uptown, Chestnut Hill Avenue. This morning, one of the guys said we’re probably more prepared leading up to (Tuesday’s storm).”
In accordance with the town’s winter parking regulations, there is no on-street parking between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., according to a post on the Athol Selectmen’s Facebook page. In addition, a Selectboard meeting scheduled for Dec. 2 has been postponed to Dec. 9.
Kilhart said his department starts getting the snow equipment ready “around mid-November; calibrating the salt trucks, making sure we’re in good shape, and making sure the first time we put the plows on isn’t tomorrow morning at 7:30. Most of those things are done well in advance of the first plowable event.”
The DPW chief said plans call for his trucks to be loaded and ready for deployment “first thing tomorrow morning. Once we get some accumulation, we’ll make that decision to get out there and start plowing. We’re prepped and ready to go.”
Kilhart reminded residents that it takes plows between four and six hours “to get completely around the town. So once you’ve seen a truck, it’s a challenge to get back there quickly. It takes a while to go around those hundred miles of roads.”
Parking ban in Greenfield
A parking ban will be in effect from 7 a.m. Tuesday until 7 a.m. Wednesday, according to Jonathon Weber, director of communications for Mayor Ginny Desorgher.
Parking will be allowed in the Chapman and Davis Street parking lot, where overnight parking is only allowed in the overnight parking spaces. Cars must be moved for plowing in the overnight spaces between 8 and 10 a.m.
Drivers will also be allowed to park in on-street metered spots during regular business hours in the Downtown Business District and in the Olive Street Parking Garage, which will have free parking during the ban.
In a written statement released by the mayor’s office, Desorgher urged residents to comply with the parking ban and “strongly encouraged” them to sign up for Greenfield Alerts to receive notifications when a ban is lifted by texting “Greenfield” to 67283.
“Clearing snow and ice from Greenfield’s 120 miles of roadways is a significant effort for our Department of Public Works,” Desorgher wrote. “The cooperation of all residents is critical to helping our team get the job done efficiently and effectively.”
Annual parking bans in effect
While the storm approaches, annual parking bans have gone into effect in a few towns in Franklin County.
In Buckland and Shelburne, the winter parking ban is now in effect until March 31, 2026.
In Buckland, no overnight parking on any town street, roadway, or sidewalk will be allowed from midnight to 6 a.m. Overnight parking is allowed in the long lot located near the Fraternal Order of Eagles parking lot, the Town Hall lot off William Street and the Salmon Falls lot behind the Salmon Falls Building on Ashfield Street. However, parking is not allowed in these lots from 8 a.m. to noon during snow events to allow for plowing.
In Shelburne during snow events declared by the Highway Department or Selectboard and indicated by blue flashing lights in the village, parking is banned on the streets as well as in the parking lot behind the Greenfield Savings Bank, Keystone Market and the Art Bank Building. Parking is allowed in the back row furthest behind Keystone Market, at Cross Street parking lot, the Arms Academy parking lot, and at the Cul-de-sac below the former Mole Hollow Candle, located off of Deerfield Avenue.
Montague has also instituted its annual parking ban. The town-wide ban, excluding downtown Turners Falls and the Patch, located between and 10th and 12th streets, is in effect now until April 1, 2026. Parking is not allowed on public roads or streets between 1 and 5 a.m.
In downtown Tuners Falls and the Patch, on-street parking is allowed through the winter. Street parking is not allowed between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. during declared winter emergencies. Winter emergencies are designated by flashing blue lights at the traffic lights on Avenue A, and on the town website, with a map of the winter emergency parking areas available for residents to view.
In South County, Whatley’s parking ban will be in effect until April 15, 2026. No parking shall be allowed on streets or in municipal parking areas between midnight and 7 a.m. This parking restriction doesn’t apply to residents of the Smikes House and their guests who park in the designated parking spaces.
In Conway, the winter parking ban goes into in effect from Nov. 1 of each year through April of the succeeding year, between the hours of midnight and 7 a.m. On-street parking on public roadways will not be permitted during these times. In addition, vehicles should be removed from public roadways during daylight hours in the instance of inclement weather or a stated snow emergency for snow removal.
Over in Deerfield, a parking ban is also in effect until May 1, with no overnight parking allowed on town streets between 1 and 6 a.m., Town Administrator Christopher Dunne confirmed on Monday.
Out east in Orange, the seasonal parking ban has gone in effect starting Nov. 30, with on-street parking banned between 2 and 6 a.m. to allow for snow clearing, the Orange Police Department shared on its Facebook page.
Erin-Leigh Hoffman, Greg Vine and Aalianna Marietta contributed to this report.