NEW: Worcester Anticipates 19 or More Inches of Snow

Sunday, February 08, 2015

GoLocal Worcester News Team

According to the National Weather Service, a prolonged winter storm will drop 19 inches of snow on Worcester by Tuesday. The city of Worcester is urging caution during Monday's commute and is reminding residents of the winter parking ban. The 63.5 inches of snow the city has seen in the past two weeks could be an all-time record for Worcester.

City Manager Edward Augustus, Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Melinda Boone and members from the city's Department of Public Works, Emergency Management and the City Manager's Office met by conference call Sunday afternoon to coordinate the city’s response.

As GoLocal reported, Worcester Public Schools will be closed on Monday. The Durkin Administration Building will be open.

The WRTA will be in service. The Worcester Senior Center will be closed to the public. City Hall, the Worcester Public Library and other municipal buildings will remain open.

Trash and recycling will be collected Monday on the usual schedule.

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) continues to work in the city to remove and haul snow from large snow banks around major streets.

The Department of Public Works had roughly 335 pieces of equipment out on the roads early Sunday, clearing an initial 2-4 inches of snow. The plowing was complete around noon Sunday, and plow operators were sent home to rest up and get ready for the next round of snowfall. Roughly 35 salt trucks stayed on to treat the city's main lines this afternoon. When the snow starts again Sunday night into Monday, Worcester expects to have about 350 to 375 pieces of equipment on the roads.

Beginning at 3 PM on Sunday, parking at municpal garages is free to allow residents to move their cars off the streets.

Related Slideshow: The 10 Worst Blizzards in Central MA History

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#10 Blizzard of February 2006

Dates: February 11-13, 2006

Accumulation: Approximately 22 inches

This Nor'easter interrupted everybody's Valentine's Day plans, and resulted in coastal flooding and heavy snow.

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#9 Blizzard of December 2010

Dates: December 22-29, 2010

Accumulation: Approximately 24 inches

A State of Emergency was declared in Boston when this Christmas storm hit and kept families home for the holidays. Worcester saw two feet of snow during this white Christmas.

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#8 NEMO 2013

Dates: February 7-18, 2013

Accumulation: Approximately 25 inches

NEMO singlehandedly shut down every road in Worcester. Dropping more than two feet of snow in the city, a driving ban was put into effect.

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#7 Nor'Easter of '69

Dates: February 8-10, 1969

Accumulation: Approximately 26 inches

Bryan Adams didn't write a song about Nor'Easter of '69 because it would have been miserable to listen to. Even worse to experience.

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#6 Blizzard of February 2003

Dates: February 14-19, 2003

Accumulation: Approximately 27.5 inches

This storm interrupted both Valentine's Day and President's Day. Named 'President's Day Storm II,' this storm set a record in Boston with more than 27 inches.

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#5 Blizzard of January 1996

Dates: January 6-10, 1996

Accumulation: Approximately 30 inches

Not even a week into 1996, this storm blanketed parts of Massachusetts with upwards of 30 inches of snow. It is one of two blizzards to receive an “extreme” rating on the Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale.

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#4 Blizzard of February 1978

Dates: February 5-7, 1978

Accumulations: Approximately 32 inches

Many in the Worcester area argue that this is the worst storm the city has ever seen. 73 people in Massachusetts died because of this storm. At the time, it set a Boston record for 32 inches of snow over a 2 day period.

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#3 April Fool's Blizzard of 1997

Dates: March 30 - April 1, 1997

Accumulations: Approximately 33 inches

This storm wasn't messing around with anyone. Over three days, and ending on April Fool's Day, the storm dropped 33 inches of snow on Central MA.

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#2 Blizzard of January 2005

Dates: January 20-23, 2005

Accumulations: Approximately 40 inches

This three-day storm droppped nearly 40 inches of snow in Central Massachusetts over a 3 day period.

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#1 Great Blizzard of 1888

Dates: March 11-14, 1888

Accumulations: Approximately 50 inches

One of the most severe recorded blizzards in the history of the United States, this superstorm dumped as much as 50 inches of snow in parts of Massachusetts. It affected the entire country.

In New York City, they suffered so much damage to power lines and cables, that this storm single handedly is responsible for implementing running cable underground.