Monday, February 11, 2013
Light, fluffy snow on rooftops can act as a sponge for rain, which is in the forecast for Monday. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency offers these tips.
With rain in the region's forecast for Monday, the Blizzard of '13 may not be finished wreaking havoc in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency warns that fluffy snow piled high on roofs can act as a sponge, absorbing rain and adding additional stress to structures. Relatively flat roofs are particularly vulnerable, MEMA says. In other cases, roof ice dams have formed causing water build-up, leading to interior damage. These conditions can accelerate the snowmelt. To minimize the risk of over-stressing a building roof due to accumulated or drifting snow: Information from a release by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency was used in this report.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Our local weather specialist says our "next bit of winter weather" is coming Monday morning.
It ain't over yet. Jim Arnold, weather specialist with Shrewsbury Emergency Management, said it looks like our extra bit of winter weather is arriving Monday morning in the form of snow, sleet, freezing rain .... and then finally rain. "A warm front approaching from the west and southwest late tonight and tomorrow will bring a wintry mix of precipitation beginning around dawn Monday and continuing throughout much of the day," said Arnold. The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory, corroborating Arnold's predictions with a forecast that also calls for freezing rain and sleet. The advisory is in effect from 6-11 a.m. on Monday for Southwest Massachusetts. "Once again, we have cold air well established and it will take…
Superintendent Jay Cummings announced the decision Sunday night.
Grafton Public Schools are canceled Monday, Feb. 11, because of unsafe roads and pending winter weather in the morning. The district posted an alert on its website. This will extend the weekend for Grafton students, who also did not have school on Friday because of the blizzard.
The storm gave us at Patch a chance to talk to a lot of you: here is some of what we learned.
Being snowed in for a bit allowed us at Patch the opportunity to interact with a bunch of you on Facebook and via email. Here's what we learned: 1. You're willing to help out your neighbors. A simple question we posed on our Facebook page, asking if anyone was available to help shovel out nearby residents, triggered a handful of responses. 2. You don't just care about being able to get your morning coffee: you care about the people who are serving it. One resident's concern for the safety of the people who make her coffee at Dunkin' Donuts led to her writing a letter to the company, and caught our attention. Apparently others care, too, because there were more than 60 shares on Facebook. 3. You're pretty happy with your Department of …
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Browse through your neighbors' photos, and add your own!
When the snow started falling Friday, we began collecting photos from the storm. Let's build on our gallery of photos that show how the blizzard impacted Grafton! If you snapped some pictures or shot some videos, share them here. Just click the "upload photos and videos," button above.
The Saturday suspension of mail delivery debate applies to today: but not because of USPS budget problems!
You may be wondering if there'll be any new mail in your mailbox today (that is, if you can even make it to your mailbox, with all this snow.) The answer is that mail service in all of New England — not just Massachusetts — has been suspended, according to the Huffington Post. The ban extends throughout all six New England states. The unusual decision was made due to safety concerns, according to Postal Service spokeswoman Christine Dugas. The decision came after over two feet of snow falling throughout much of New England made many roads impassable, she said. Dugas reminded people to clear around their mailboxes or paths to their homes by Monday, when mail delivery will resume.
Bookmark this page through the weekend for the latest you need to know about the storm in Grafton.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Winds and snow drifts, however, could continue through the weekend.
Snow is falling hard throughout the region and it is forecast to continue into Saturday afternoon. "I still think we'll see accumulating snow throughout the early part of the afternoon, but after 3 p.m., the storm may breath its last breath," wrote WHDH Chief Meteorologist Pete Bouchard in the Channel 7 Weather Blog. The storm will start to pull out to ocean by midday, Bouchard said. The snow will pull away with the storm, but the wind will pick up. "Blowing and drifting will be issues through early Sunday," wrote Bouchard. When all is over with, the National Weather Service is predicting, the storm will have dropped about two feet of snow on the area. Those totals were lowered from Friday morning predictions.
One Grafton resident was bothered that the local Dunkin' Donuts had planned to remain open through the storm.
With a "potentially historic" blizzard upon us, the governor has ordered all non-emergency employees to stay home. Private businesses, however, may choose whether to stay open. In Grafton Friday morning, Kristen Remillard was happy to be able to grab her morning coffee at Dunkin' Donuts before the snow started falling. When she asked an employee if they'd be leaving early because of the storm, she was surprised to hear "no." Let Patch save you time. Get local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone everyday with our free newsletter. Simple, fast sign-up here. Remillard posted on the Grafton Patch Facebook page a letter she wrote to the chain, expressing her concern: Dear Dunkin Donuts (Massachusetts) I was so very …
Crews started plowing in Grafton at 2 p.m.; that was after treating the roads.
Provided the forecast proves true and snow starts falling Friday night at a rate of 2 to 3 inches an hour, those responsible for keeping Grafton's streets clear are going to be going nonstop. "We'll take occasional breaks but if we get the snow they say we're going to get, you need to keep going to stay with it," said Highway Superintendent Dave Crouse. Crouse said the governor's banning of vehicles on the roads after 4 p.m. was welcome news, and that he hoped people would stay off the streets. Grafton doesn't have a parking ban, but the DPW may have vehicles removed that interfere with plowing and keeping the roads clear, Crouse said.
jojo
6:56 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013
The guys at the highway department really do a phenomenal job. I hear a lot about them good and bad, but these guys take care of business. Many people probably don't realize what goes into plowing roads unless they have done it or something similar. I have plowed for 14 years, mostly parking lots and drive ways its taxing work, staying awake...the mechanical complications...the general public … more ›