The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is advising the public that weather forecasters are expecting a winter storm to impact travel across the Commonwealth throughout Tuesday, February 12.
Snow is expected to begin falling during the Tuesday morning hours in Western Massachusetts and the storm will move eastward during the day, with snowfall rates at some times of one inch per hour, and with snow changing over to sleet in most regions. Members of the public are advised to minimize travel, use public transportation if possible, consider working from home if that is an option, or consider leaving work early on Tuesday. Driving conditions will become hazardous in Western Massachusetts around 10:00 AM, Central Massachusetts around 1:00 PM and in the Boston area and Eastern Massachusetts around 3:00 PM.
“We are asking people throughout the Commonwealth to make smart, safe decisions on Tuesday such as taking advantage of public transportation, working from home if possible and leaving early for their afternoon commute,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack. “Everyone should check a weather forecast and travel conditions before heading out to avoid hazardous driving conditions, as there will be varying types of precipitation in all regions of Massachusetts, including snow, sleet, and freezing rain throughout the daytime and evening hours. The MBTA will be running subway lines in the Boston area at increased capacity starting at noon and all motorists should consider leaving early for their commute home and allowing plenty of extra time to travel.”
“MassDOT is currently conducting preparation activities for the deployment of snow and ice crews in advance of Tuesday’s winter weather,” said Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. “Forecasters are predicting snow, sleet, and freezing rain in the state which will make travel challenging, so we are asking everyone to have a plan which takes the weather into account. People who are driving should consult a forecast before heading out, give plenty of space to plows and snow and ice equipment, and consider taking public transportation when possible.”
MassDOT’s snow and ice operations will be deployed throughout the Commonwealth as conditions necessitate. Crews are currently conducting preparation activities in advance of the winter weather and will be pretreating roadways with brine and Magnesium Chloride. MassDOT is also currently planning deployments of snowplows and spreaders and maintenance equipment. In the worst storms, MassDOT’s Highway Division is able to utilize up to 700 personnel to perform snow and ice removal operations on more than 15,000 lane miles of roadway throughout the Commonwealth. This winter, MassDOT will have approximately 3,900 pieces of state and vendor equipment available throughout the duration of winter storms using over 150 depots and storage locations. This includes over 1,400 plow and spreader combos, 2,100 plows, and 460 front-end loaders.
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