Cambridge city officials announced on Saturday afternoon that a snow emergency parking ban would be in effect starting at 10 a.m. Sunday. Any vehicles parked on streets with “No Parking During Snow Emergency” signs will be ticketed and towed until the ban is lifted. The city will make free off-street parking available at a number of places starting at 7 a.m. Sunday; locations can be found at the city’s Snow Center. The free parking is only available to residents with Resident Parking Permits from the city’s Department of Transportation. People who use the free parking must move their cars within two hours of the emergency parking ban being lifted.
City offices will also be closed on Monday. Monday’s regularly scheduled City Council meeting will still be held but will be fully remote.
The Cambridge Public Schools will be closed on Monday.
All Cambridge Public Library branches will be closed on Sunday and Monday. Programming and events are also cancelled. The same is true for all Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP) programs and locations, including the War Memorial Recreation Center.
In addition, the storm will affect trash and recycling pick-up, which will not happen on Monday. Collection services will be one day behind for the rest of the week.
Updates will be posted to the Snow Center.
The city requested that residents report any power outages to Eversource at 800-592-2000. If wires come down, call 911.
These moves come in anticipation of a significant snowstorm projected to drop 16 to 24 inches of snow on Cambridge between Sunday afternoon and Monday evening. The storm is part of a massive weather pattern exepcted to bring rain, snow and/or ice to two thirds of the nation’s population.
Local nonprofits and shelters began making preparations last last week to protect vulnerable communities. The Cambridge Corps of the Salvation Army announced expanded hours at its day shelter, which will be open from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Sunday; they will be providing breakfast, lunch, hot drinks, and access to showers during that time.
Financial and material donations would be appreciated, according to Trisha Smouse, Commanding Officer of the Cambridge Corps. Coffee, tea, snacks and sugar are expected to be needed, and items to keep warm, like scarves, hats, socks, sweats, and even handwarmers.
The Winter Warming Center on Green Street (entrance behind the Cambridge Senior Center) will operating at expanded capacity, increasing the number of mats available for overnight stay from 35 to 45 and offering transportation to an indoor location while the shelter is closed during the day.
This story includes reporting from a previous story by Jane Petersen. It was updated to include a more current expected snowfall total.
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