Monday, March 13, 2017 at 11:00 am

BLIZZARD WATCH issued by the National Weather Service:

·  Issuing Office: Boston

Source: National Weather Service

... WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM TO 1 PM EDT TUESDAY...... BLIZZARD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TUESDAY NIGHT... * LOCATIONS... EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS AS WELL AS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN RHODE ISLAND. * HAZARD TYPES... HEAVY SNOW AND THE POTENTIAL FOR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. * ACCUMULATIONS... SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 12 TO 18 INCHES WITH A LOW RISK FOR ISOLATED AMOUNTS UP TO 2 FEET ACROSS NORTHEAST MA. * TIMING... SNOW OVERSPREADS MOST OF THE REGION BETWEEN 4 AND 8 AM TUESDAY MORNING. THE SNOW WILL QUICKLY BECOME HEAVY WITH 2 TO 4 INCH PER HOUR SNOWFALL RATES POSSIBLE AT TIMES THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE HEAVY SNOW WILL TAPER OFF TO SNOW SHOWERS TUESDAY NIGHT. * IMPACTS... HEAVY SNOW, POOR VISIBILITY AND STRONG WINDS WILL MAKE FOR EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS TRAVEL. STRONG WINDS WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AND NEAR WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES. CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IS ALSO EXPECTED AND MANY ROADS MAY BECOME IMPASSABLE. THE STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO BRING THE RISK FOR SCATTERED TREE DAMAGE AND POWER OUTAGES... ESPECIALLY NEAR THE COAST. * WINDS... NORTH 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH. * VISIBILITIES... ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT TIMES. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A BLIZZARD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR CONSIDERABLE FALLING AND/OR BLOWING SNOW WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OR FREQUENT GUSTS OVER 35 MPH, WITH VISIBILITIES BELOW ONE QUARTER MILE, FOR AT LEAST 3 HOURS. WHITEOUT CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE, MAKING TRAVEL VERY DANGEROUS. BE PREPARED TO ALTER ANY TRAVEL PLANS. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN AN AVERAGE SNOWFALL OF 6 INCHES OR MORE IS EXPECTED WITHIN A 12 HOUR PERIOD, OR FOR 8 INCHES OR MORE IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD. TRAVEL WILL BE SLOW AT BEST ON WELL TREATED SURFACES, AND QUITE DIFFICULT ON UNTREATED SURFACES. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL, KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT, FOOD, AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

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The City of Haverhill has declared a Snow Emergency beginning at 8:00 am Tuesday, March 14 and will last until Noon Wednesday, March 15th. The Snow Emergency means that there will be no parking on the following streets during this period. Vehicle parking on these streets during this time period will be ticketed and towed.

Street Name Side Location

Emerson Street / Both / Entire length
Essex Street / Both / Entire length
Main Street / Both / From Merrimack Street to Monument Square
Merrimack Street / Both / Entire length
River Street / Both / From County Bridge to View Street
Washington Street / Both / From Washington Square to County Bridge
Water Street / Both / From Main Street to Mill Street
White Street / Both / Entire length
Winter Street / Both / Entire length

The Haverhill Highway Department is closely monitoring this storm and is readying its vehicles and equipment in advance of the storm and pretreating roadways. Highway crews will be on standby overnight and will continue treating roadway surfaces and will begin plowing when appropriate. Contract tree crews will be on standby due to the forecast of gusty winds possibly creating tree damage.

Due to the storm trash and recycling collection scheduled for Tuesday, March 14th is pushed back to Wednesday, March 15th. Trash and recycling collection for Wednesday, March 15th is pushed back to Thursday, March 16th and so on for the rest of the week into Saturday.

See this site for more information:

http://www.haverhillma.gov/departments/public_works_department/winter_storm_information.php