• Move vehicles by 8:00 p.m. Friday to odd-numbered side of street (unless otherwise posted) to avoid ticketing and towing

• Parking is also allowed in municipal lots (but not in school lots)

Based on current weather forecasts, the city is declaring a snow emergency to go into effect at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, January 28. Beginning at 4:00 p.m., cars will have four hours (until 8:00 p.m.) to move to the ODD side of the street (unless signage on your streets says otherwise). Any exceptions will be noted by nearby signs. Moving cars to one side makes room for plows and emergency vehicles, so thank you for doing your part. Residents may begin moving their cars to the odd-numbered side as early as they like, but please move your car by 8:00 p.m. to avoid ticketing and towing.

Municipal parking lots are also available for snow emergency parking. You may move your car into designated city lots starting at 4:00 p.m. For a full list of available city-owned parking lots, visit somervillema.gov/snow. School parking lots are not available for parking during snow emergencies and gates will be locked at 8:00 p.m. Friday. To avoid having your vehicle locked in a school lot, ticketed, and towed, be sure to vacate all school lots before 8:00 p.m. Friday. 

If you do use city lots, please note that all cars must be moved within two hours of the end of the emergency. Snow emergencies can be lifted at any time, including during work hours, so if you are unable to move your car out of a city lot at potentially short notice, please consider finding alternative parking. 

Please also note: Potential high snow totals and high hourly rates of snowfall are forecast. So again we ask that you move cars on time, use (and consider sharing) your driveways, and that you bear with us with what may be a very challenging snow removal operation. 

Bike lanes and cycle tracks will be plowed as part of our snow removal and specialized tractors will be deployed for this purpose. However, during and immediately after a storm, bike lanes may have ice and snow buildup. So please use caution when riding a bike and consider other modes of transportation if you must travel. Please also bear with us if you observe plow damage to flex posts used for bike and pedestrian infrastructure. A certain amount of flex post loss is expected during snow removal. Posts will be replaced in the spring.  

Open/Closed Services:

• Closed Saturday:

  • City COVID-19 testing site

  • School activities

  • All Somerville Public Library branches

  • Recreation Department activities

  • Kennedy pool

  • Ice rinks

For more information, please visit 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 six 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 snowstorm 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 the Council on Aging at 617-625-6600 x2300. 

Snow Emergency Parking Exceptions (Why some streets have even-side parking this season):   A limited number of streets have even-side parking during snow emergencies always. Typically, these are one-way streets where year-round parking is only allowed on the even side due to space constraints. In some cases, they are streets that have parking on both sides of the street but that have no buildings on one side of the street for the duration of the plow route. In these cases, parking may only be allowed on the side of the street with homes. Please check signs on your street.  

Plan Ahead: In winter, it’s always good to plan ahead. Once an emergency is declared, you will have four hours to move your car, so if you are traveling or working, park on the correct side before you leave just in case moving your car in time could be difficult. 

Driveway Use: If you have access to a driveway, please consider using it during snow emergencies, or even sharing it with a neighbor or friend. 

City Alerts: Community members are encouraged to sign up for the city’s alert system to receive emergency phone, email, and/or text message alerts as well as important information for your neighborhood. Sign up for alerts at somervillema.gov/alerts or by calling 311 (617-666-3311 from cell phones or outside the city). 

When are snow emergencies called? A snow emergency may be declared whenever four or more inches of snow are predicted. City officials closely monitor storm forecasts through various means, and use all available information to make an informed decision that takes into account forecasted snow accumulations, pavement temperatures, post-storm temperatures, existence of remaining snow from previous storms, and other factors.

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 facebook.com/SomervilleCity, facebook.com/311Somerville, Twitter @SomervilleCity and @311Somerville, the city website somervillema.gov, and flashing blue lights activated at 22 key intersections in the city (when lights are flashing, a snow emergency is in effect).