Weekend storm: Snow-related parking bans, closures and cancellations for the Fall River area
FALL RIVER — A "powerful" winter storm is headed our way, if computer models are to be believed.
Southern New England will get hit with "a high impact winter storm" Saturday, the National Weather Service says. The storm could bring a foot or more of snow and blizzard conditions to the region, according to AccuWeather.
"A winter storm is expected on Saturday," the Weather Service says in a Hazardous Weather Outlook. "Heavy snow, strong winds, coastal flooding and dangerous seas are possible. Storm track and intensity will determine the exact impacts."
The "powerful coastal storm Friday night into Saturday night...will likely impact at least a portion of the region with heavy snow, strong winds, coastal flooding and dangerous seas," the Weather Service says. "However, still some uncertainty on the exact storm track and intensity, which will have a direct impact on snow amounts and other storm details."
Ahead of the storm, here are the parking bans, closures and cancellations related to the weather.
Parking bans
FALL RIVER: A parking ban will be in effect from 6 p.m. on Jan. 28 until further notice. Parking is only allowed on the north side of city streets that run east and west and on the west side of streets that run north and south. Parking is available at the following locations until the ban is no longer in effect: Flint Municipal Parking Lot on Cash Street; Municipal Parking Lot on Columbia Street; Talbot Middle School on Melrose Street; Morton Middle School Parking Lot on Hood Street
SOMERSET: A parking ban will be in effect for the Town of Somerset beginning 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 28, until 11 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 30. Parking on either side of a town-owned road is prohibited. Pierce Beach Park, Somerset Waterfront Park and the Somerset Historical Society Parking lot have all been designated for overflow parking during winter storm incidents.
SWANSEA: Parking ban will be in effect Friday, Jan. 28, at 10 p.m. through Sunday, Jan. 30, at 8 a.m.
TIVERTON: Parking ban in effect Friday at 5 p.m. until further notice. The town will revisit on Sunday given storm and road conditions.
Closures
- In anticipation of the weekend snowstorm, the Fall River Public Library will be closed on Saturday, Jan. 29. All programs for that day, including the vaccination clinic, are canceled. The Drag Queen storytime hosted by Fall River Pride Committee will be held virtually on their Facebook page. If you have books, movies, wifi hotspots, or museum passes to pick up, please do so before 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 28.
- On Friday, Jan. 28, city services in Fall River will be open per usual hours of operation.
- Fall River DPW complex on Lewiston Street will be closed on Saturday.
- Children's Museum of Greater Fall River will be closed Saturday.
- Tiverton Public Library and Union Library will be closed Saturday.
- The first night of the Golden Gloves Boxing Tournament at the Police Athletic League of Fall River has been moved from Saturday, Jan. 29, to Friday, Feb. 4.
- Religious education classes for grades 6-9 at St. George Church in Westport on Saturday have been canceled.
- Mount Hope Catholic Community Confirmation in Swansea canceled Sunday eve.
- Bank Five in Fall River will be closed Saturday.
- BayCoast Bank in Swansea will be closed Saturday.
- The Freetown Public Library and Transfer Station will be closed to the public on Saturday, Jan. 29.
- Holy Ghost Church in Tiverton has canceled all events Saturday.
- Fall River Municipal Credit Union will be closed Saturday and Sunday.
- Somerset Federal Credit Union will be closed Saturday.
- Dartmouth Mall will be closed Saturday.
- The Tiverton town landfill/recycle center will be closed all day on Saturday due to the winter storm.
- Westport's transfer station will be closed all day on Saturday, due to the storm. It anticipates having a delayed opening on Sunday.
SRTA: Buses and transit services provided by the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority will not be operating Saturday, due to the storm. SRTA’s temporary suspension of demand response services on Sundays already was scheduled to begin this weekend, due to staffing shortages.
Volunteers needed
If you are willing to volunteer to clear sidewalks in Fall River for sick, disabled or elderly residents, please contact the Mayor’s office at 508-324-2600.
National Grid outage map
To see where power outages have occurred and when they are expected to be resolved, visit https://outagemap.ma.nationalgridus.com/
For Freetown residents, in the event of power outage call Eversource at 800-592-2000 or report the outage online at www.eversource.com. Dispatch staff are unable to provide any information regarding Eversource's repair or restoration efforts. In the event of prolonged power outage that requires assistance, contact dispatch at 508-763-4017.
Help for the homeless
For members of our homeless population in need of shelter, please reach out to the First Step Inn at 134 Durfee St., Fall River, or call 508-679-8001.
A drop-in warming center at 414 Rock St., Fall River, will be open both Jan. 29 and Jan. 30.
Diocese of Fall River
The Diocese of Fall River is urging parishioners to use caution and good judgment when planning to travel to Mass this weekend. All should follow the travel advisories of state and local officials, and stay off the roads during the peak hours of the storm and plow operation. In the event that roadways are not clear for travel on Sunday, the obligation to attend Sunday Mass does not apply when there is grave difficulty in fulfilling this obligation. Parishioners should not put themselves at risk in order to attend Mass if conditions are not safe.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Jan. 28 snow: Fall River, Somerset, Swansea parking bans, cancellations
