Following springlike weather to start off the week, cities and towns across the region were hit by a snowstorm on Friday morning.
The storm brought in heavy snow, mild winds, cold temperatures and icy conditions on the roads. When all was said and done, almost a foot of snow had fallen.
According to Department of Public Works (DPW) directors across the North Shore, the major challenge from this storm was the snow’s heaviness and compactness. Cooler temperatures on Friday night were expected to make roads icy and will require additional sanding and de-icing work from DPW staff on Saturday, which is expected to be sunny but cold.
This snowstorm is the third major event on the North Shore this winter, following a snowstorm that dropped around eight inches of snow in early January and a blizzard that resulted in nearly two feet of snow in early February.
LYNN
Lynn DPW Commissioner Andrew Hall said the most challenging factor about this storm was the compact snow. He said what made the snow so dense and heavy was rain falling into the snow, causing more water to become trapped within the substance.
“We have to use chemicals and salt to de-ice the snow,” Hall explained. “We have over 200 pieces of equipment and about the same amount of contractors.”
Hall said Lynn did not face any significant wind or sea damage from the coast due to the storm being closer to the land. In terms of sanding and de-icing efforts, he said the DPW will have to work additional shifts due to the cooler temperatures at night.
During the blizzard earlier in the month, Lynn saw several large snow banks appear due to plowing, which caused traffic problems as they blocked roads. Hall said this time, there would be no issue due to a lesser amount of snow from this storm.
“I still encourage motorists to be careful out there,” he said.
LYNNFIELD
The Lynnfield DPW office reported no issues or problems with their equipment or snow removal.
The department has around 15 vehicles altogether, including sidewalk plows and front-end loaders, and around 50 contracted vehicles.
No crashes or power outages have been reported.
De-icing and snow-removal operations are expected to continue throughout the night, according to the office. They expect the sun on Saturday to help melt the snow and ice.
The town’s Facebook page encouraged drivers to stay off the roads until the snow stopped falling and until the parking ban instituted on Thursday is lifted.
“Road crews will be treating the streets prior to the snowfall and plows will be cleaning the roads throughout the storm. If you have an emergency, please call the police department,” the post said.
MARBLEHEAD
Marblehead town offices were closed on Friday in an effort to minimize the effects of the snowstorm.
“For those who are not out and about, the roads are snow-covered and slick,” said the Marblehead Police Department in a Facebook post.
The town DPW crews had been plowing the snow since before dawn on Friday.
“Stay warm, stay dry, stay safe,” the post said.
NAHANT
In Nahant, a full DPW crew and several independent contractors’ trucks were working on clearing the snow and sanding roads with around 10 trucks working through the storm.
The rate of the snowfall was significant from 6 a.m. until 2 to 4 p.m. The pace of the snowstorm was around one-to-two inches per hour.
“It was a little bit tough to keep up with it, but we did our best,” said Nahant Town Administrator Antonio Barletta.
Although the snowfall slowed down as the day went on, the temperature began dropping later in the day. Because of this, the town began salting the roads to prevent freezing once the storm stopped.
PEABODY
Department of Public Services (DPS) Director Robert Labossiere said Peabody received up to nine inches of snow and the clean-up operation began Friday morning.
“We have 108 pieces of equipment cleaning up snow,” Labossiere said. “These range from snow plows to tri-axles. We have 80 contractors and about 25 DPS members cleaning up today.”
Labossiere said the snow was heavier compared to the two feet of snow from the blizzard that hit the city at the beginning of February. He said workers will have to de-ice the roads twice due to colder temperatures expected between 6 to 8 p.m
“I hope this is the last one this year,” he said.
SALEM
There has been no reported sea damage or any snow-removal challenges in Salem, according to the city’s DPW office.
Snow was reportedly easy to clear, though roads are expected to be icy due to the amount of water inside the snow.
Snow removal is still underway and de-icing will continue throughout the night.
According to the City of Salem’s website, a snow emergency was declared at midnight on Friday. All public buildings have been closed during the storm as well as the Salem Skipper ridesharing service.
SAUGUS
The town started clearing snow and salting around midnight to prevent ice from building on the roads when the snow starts melting.
“We sent 15 town trucks and 55 private contractors’ trucks,” said Saugus DPW Director Brendan O’Regan. “The challenging thing about this event is that after the snow melts this time, everything is going to refreeze later tonight.”
The town’s DPW director noted that there were two good things about this snowfall — local schools were on vacation, and the amount of snow was around eight to 10 inches instead of the 10-12 inches that were initially predicted.
The shoveling continued for another four to eight hours after the storm, because the town needed some time to push the snow back before opening the roads, O’Regan said.
SWAMPSCOTT
Similar to the situation in Saugus, Swampscott DPW Director Gino Cresta noted that the town got less snow than what they were expecting.
“I think we are in pretty good shape,” said Cresta. “It is going to be a total of seven to eight inches instead of eight to 12 inches.”
The town employed 14 town trucks and 18 contracted vehicles. The town also used salt to pre-treat the roads to exclude further icing.
The plowing started around 4 a.m., and was finished around 7 p.m.