AMESBURY — With nearly 2 feet of snow blanketing the majority of area communities, local officials are weighing in on how their communities are dealing with the storm.
As a result of the snowfall, closures were abundant in both Amesbury and Salisbury, with schools in both communities being shuttered on Monday. City offices and the public library in Amesbury and the town’s municipal buildings in Salisbury were also closed.
Francis Tarasiewicz, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service Boston said the area received an average of 18-20 inches of snow as of Monday morning.
Tarasiewicz said while the quantity of snow is not unprecedented, the most recent comparable snowstorm took place in January 2022 when the area received between 1.5 to 2 feet of snow.
The snow came as a result of an area of pressure that moved from the mid-South to the mid-Atlantic with low pressure developing offshore as well, Tarasiewicz said.
“You can think of it as a weak Nor’easter but with a lot of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic,” he said.
Amesbury Communications Director William Donohue said on Monday that the city’s Department of Public Works was hard at work trying to clear the snow.
“This was a very complicated operation that has extended well past 48 hours of DPW preparation, pretreatment of surfaces, and clearing of streets. Crews have now been split into shifts to allow some to get some well-needed rest, while others continue plowing. With another few inches expected today, full crews will be out later,” he said.
Donohue said the aftermath of the storm will be dealt with as the week progresses.
“Clean-up operations are expected to continue over the next few days. Amesbury is grateful for the DPW crew and private contractors who worked tirelessly through the night, and continue to do so, keeping the city’s streets safe,” he said.
Donohue also advised residents on how they could help the DPW in their efforts to clear snow.
“The city asks that residents and businesses do their part with assisting DPW by not pushing snow into the street and to continue to adhere to the on-street parking ban until it has been lifted. Announcements will be made on the city website, social media, and through our Smart 911 messaging system,” he said.
Similarly, Salisbury DPW Director Jamie Tuccolo said he and his staff took action to keep residents safe prior to snowfall.
“The Salisbury DPW has been actively monitoring the storm, the crew was out pretreating the roads ahead of the storm to help prevent ‘pack’ on the roadway,” he said.
Tuccolo also detailed the process of clearing the roads and said the DPW collaborates with other local officials for the benefit of the community.
“Public safety is our top priority, and we stay in close communication with police and fire departments as well as the town manager. The DPW also sent out reverse notifications to the residents regarding having a parking ban. This process is put in place to aid with snow removal, to be completed ASAP without disruption. The DPW concentrates on clearing the mains first, then secondary streets and sidewalks,” he said.
Tuccolo also recognized the work done by his staff and the positive attitude of Salisbury residents during the storm.
“Our staff puts in long hours during these events, and we appreciate the community’s patience and cooperation as we work to keep Salisbury safe,” he said.