Swampscott Blizzard: Snow Emergency Parking Ban Starts Overnight

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — A snow emergency parking ban in Swampscott is set to begin at 2 a.m. on Saturday as the town prepares for a massive snowstorm expected to dump up to two feet of snow with 50 mph winds and coastal flooding along the North Shore.

The parking ban is set to run until noon on Sunday unless otherwise adjusted.

All vehicles must be removed from public ways or risk being ticketed or towed.

Residents and business owners are reminded that snow must be removed from their sidewalks with violators subject to ticketing.

The town's styrofoam recycling dropoff event scheduled for Saturday has been postponed until Feb. 5.

The Swampscott Public Library is also closed on Saturday.

The National Weather Service issued an official blizzard warning for all Massachusetts communities inside of Route 495 Friday morning.

A blizzard has winds of more than 35 mph and less than a quarter-mile of visibility.

Eversource is preparing for the likelihood of power outages due to downed trees or limbs by positioning line and tree crews across the state – including hundreds on loan from other states.

While some store shelves are likely to already be bare for necessities like milk, bread and eggs, Friday would also be the day to put together a pack of other essential items such as flashlights, batteries, water, non-perishable foods, pet food and any needed medications. Eversource advises residents to make sure cell phones and devices are fully charged.

Patch will post updates throughout what could be one of the biggest one-day snowfalls in recent North Shore history.

If you have any photos from the storm that you would like included in a possible gallery, send them — including the community where they were taken — to [email protected].

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)