What You Should Know When it Snows

We'll be doing a series of articles on winter in Boston. Today we'll tell the basic things you need to know about routine snowstorms.

Update 1.19.12 You've reached an old post. 

Click here for the 2012 Information.

Here's what you need to know about routine winter storms.
Since this is the first storm of the season, go dig out your winter boots, shovels, windshield scrapers, sand, salt and ice melt. (For the sake of dogs who walk barefoot on sidewalks please choose a "Paw safe" option when buying deicing products.)

Before the storm
The city site requests that residents
(http://www.cityofboston.gov/news/default.aspx?id=3726 )

• "Check and clear catch basins around their homes and remove any debris or snow that may clog them and prevent the proper drainage of water from the streets to avoid flooding and freezing in their area."
• "Not to park cars within 20 feet of an intersection. Parking too close to an intersection can restrict emergency vehicle access and plow/sander access. "

Once snow, slush or ice is on the ground someone has to remove it from sidewalks.

In the city of Boston, and most surrounding communities, that someone is you or the people you hire to do it for you.

In Boston the rules are:

• Between sunrise and sunset, if your building has six or fewer units, you have six hours to remove snow.
• If your building has more than six units, you only have three hours.
• And the degree to which you remove the snow, slush or ice is laid out in the city ordinance.

"Removal of any slush or snow should be conducted along the full paved width of such sidewalk and in a manner that ensures the orderly flow and safety of pedestrian traffic upon such sidewalks. Removal of any slush or snow shall be conducted in a manner that clears the full paved path or a minimum of forty-two (42) inches wide.

In the case of ice, it says:

"Removal of any ice shall be in a manner consistent with the requirements of the preceding sub-section, except that any such owner, manager, or tenant shall be deemed to
be in compliance with this paragraph if such ice is made level and completely covered with sand, sawdust, or other appropriate material to prevent slipping."

As to where you put the snow from your own stairs and walkways, that gets tricky because the ordinance says:

"No person shall remove slush, snow, or ice from privately-owned real property and place it upon any sidewalk or street."

Parking
Once snow falls, you see how seldom some cars in Boston are moved. We walk by cars that sit, snow-covered, for weeks on end. If you do dig your car out, you are not supposed to put the snow onto the street or a cleared sidewalk. That adds to the fun of the job.

If you live in a section of the city with a tradition of space savers, the city brochure says those will be removed 48 hours after a snow emergency has been lifted. For those new to this game "space savers" are chairs, trash cans, and other objects that are placed in cleared and empty parking spaces to save the spot for the person who shoveled it.

French Toast Alert
If you're new to the area or haven't been paying attention, you may not know this term. French toast alert comes from the rush to groceries store for basic provisions (milk, bread and eggs) when storms are predicted.

Here's a link to the master page of the official French Toast Alert system for this area.

http://www.universalhub.com/french-toast

Details:

Here's the place to start for winter storm information from the city. You can download a complete copy of the city ordinance on snow removal on this page.

http://www.cityofboston.gov/snow/

Here's a page to sign up for Snow emergency alert by text or email.

http://www.cityofboston.gov/alerts/

Snow Emergency phone numbers in Boston (email contact address: snow@cityofboston.gov )
http://www.cityofboston.gov/snow/emergencyphone.asp