Snowstorm swirls into the Bay State
(John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)
One hardy soul insisted on riding his bike in Copley Square as the flakes fell.
By Andrew Ryan and Martin Finucane, Globe Staff
A snowstorm expected to drop as much as a foot of snow swirled into Massachusetts today, arriving in the Boston area in the early afternoon as officials mobilized plows, and salt- and sand-spreading equipment to keep the roads safe. Spinouts and fender benders were reported, but no major accidents.
Traffic was light statewide during the evening rush hour, with people seeming to heed advice from weather forecasters and public officials to stay off the roads, and no major backups were reported, said Peter Judge, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
"All in all, it was a very successful commute," he said.
Judge said officials were monitoring reports of 4,600 homes losing power in southeastern Massachusetts, where the snow was heavier and wetter -- and more likely to bring down tree limbs and power lines.
The brunt of the storm, which included some blizzard conditions, is expected to be over between 9 p.m. and midnight, though snow showers could continue into the early morning hours, said National Weather Service meteorologist Kim Buttrick.
Meanwhile, another storm is waiting in the wings. Forecasters warned of a storm that could drop 4 to 8 inches of snow on central and western Massachusetts Sunday before changing to sleet and freezing rain. In the eastern portion of the state, 1 to 3 inches is expected.
The Massachusetts Highway Department mobilized more than 4,000 state-owned and contractor trucks to deal with today's snow, said department spokesman Adam Hurtubise. Workers treated roads with liquid calcium chloride even before the storm hit, he said.
Numerous cancellations and delays of one to five hours were reported at Logan International Airport, though the airport remained open. Airport spokesman Phil Orlandella suggested that people check with their airlines if they are taking a flight or meeting someone coming off a flight.
Massachusetts Turnpike webcams (those that weren’t blinded by blowing snow) showed light traffic during rush hour at various locations on bridges, tunnels, and roads around Boston. The Turnpike was closed to double trailers and propane trucks and the speed limit was reduced the length of the Pike to 40 m.p.h., Pike spokesman Mac Daniel said in a statement.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority public transit system was running smoothly, spokesman Joe Pesaturo said in a statement.
Amtrak trains were running, but many ran at reduced speeds because of snow on the tracks, said Cliff Cole, a company spokesman, predicting delays on most routes in the Northeast.
Tricia Boisvert of Middleborough was released from work early and thought she would use her extra time to explore Downtown Crossing before taking her commuter train home. She saw the bright side of the storm.
“It’s not that bad,” she said. “The train will get me home sooner or later. ... It makes it seem like Christmas. It hasn’t been like Christmas in a long time.”
At the Logan MBTA stop, people bundled in coats, gloves, and hats and carrying snow-covered suitcases stared up at a series of red cancellations flashing across a computer monitor.
Dressed in blue scrubs from his last day at Harvard Medical School, Soroush Zaghi, 24, smiled up at the screen. His American Airlines flight to Los Angeles was slated to take off on time at 4:45 p.m.
Kiersten Wollenzien, a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of New Hampshire, wasn’t so lucky. She set up camp in Logan’s Terminal B, waiting four hours for her rescheduled flight to Toronto.
Wollenzien said that when she checked her flight before catching a bus to Logan from UNH it was listed as on time.
“I just went to the ticket counter and they gave me the last seat on the 8:10 flight,” she said, minutes before Air Canada announced it would cancel all flights for the night.
Forecasters predicted the entire state would be blanketed with 8 to 12 inches of snow, with slightly lower totals on Cape Cod. Wind gusts up to 35 miles per hour were expected.
The first light flakes began tumbling down in Boston after 1:30 p.m. Whipped by a cold wind, they soon started falling faster. By 6:30 p.m, more than 8 inches had fallen in areas of western and southeastern Massachusetts, with more than 5 inches recorded close to Boston, in Somerville, the weather service reported.
Governor Deval Patrick had ordered most state workers to stay home to minimize traffic. In a statement posted on the state’s website at 5 a.m., Patrick also urged businesses to tell employees not to come to work today in an effort to avoid the gridlock that gripped the state a year ago when a major storm struck during the afternoon commute.
"Those who must travel are encouraged to take public transportation," Patrick said. "These actions should help facilitate more effective snow removal and minimize the possibility of a long, slow, dangerous homebound commute."
Boston city officials canceled school today and told all nonessential city employees not to come to work. Officials declared a snow emergency, banning parking on major traffic arteries.
“The streets seem pretty clear, the plows are moving pretty well,” Dot Joyce, spokeswoman for Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, said in the late afternoon. She said it appeared fewer people had traveled into the city today, heeding the cautionary words of city officials. No major problems have been reported, she said.
“We just need people to get home, be safe, wait out the storm, and we’ll get out there to clean it up and make sure everything’s ready for tomorrow morning so people can do their holiday shopping,” she said.
The timing and expected intensity of the storm were like last year’s Dec. 13 storm, which caught unsuspecting commuters on their way home, trapping many in slow-moving traffic for hours. Officials said they were determined not to repeat the mistakes of that storm.
The storm arrived as thousands of utility customers in New England remained without power today from last week’s ice storm, which knocked out electricity to nearly 1 million. In Massachusetts, the number without power was down to 7,000 by this evening, said Judge.
Despite the storm, he said, utility crews are "out there working right now."
David Abel, Milton Valencia, and Brian Ballou of the Globe staff and correspondents Jeannie Nuss and Anne Baker contributed to this report.
Does anyone know where/when/how "Boston city officials ... told city employees not to come in unless they are told otherwise"? The Herald just says that "Mayor Thomas M. Menino is urging the city’s 17,000 workers to take public transportation."
When did New Englanders go soft? When did less than a foot of snow become "significant"? Am I living in bizarro world?
So does that mean they have to work Saturday to make up for it or do they just not get paid for the day?
nice to know that the state has the money to pay state workers who do not even do a day's work for there pay. My employer says if you dont show up you dont get paid.
Is Patrick soft in the head? Seriously. What are these workers going to do between 8am and 2pm when it's NOT snowing? Watch Channel 7 Storm Force update crawls at the bottom of the screen during The Price Is Right??
Productivity is the only catalyst we have during an economic downturn, and the guy who's essentially done ZERO since assuming office is suggesting others do the same. Small business will take a huge hit, and all for nothing. This guy isn't Liberal, he's loose...as in a few screws. He has no grasp of how the economy turns.
Hey - it's gonna snow on Sunday, too. Maybe The Gov will send all the snow plow operators home early...
Gee there's a surprise. I hope those workers (if you can call them that) are docked a vacation day.
A dusting of snow (anything less than 8 inches) and once again, state workers have yet another paid day off. Some of us are lucky and some of us have to do real work for their paycheck.
Another day off for state workers. You would think this was the first time it snowed in Boston. No wonder we have a state budget crisis and low productivity. Does anyone work 40 hours for the state?
let's all pray the snow goes out to sea.
I remember driving from Needham back to Brookline on 12/13 2007 and it taking over 3 hours to go 2 miles. I encouraged all my staff to work from home today. Gotta love New England!
Gee, how do people in Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Czechia & Slovakia,Belgium, France, UK, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Canada, Luxembourg, Ukraine, Belarus, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, No. Italy, Slovenia, Rumania, Croatia, Serbia, Japan, Korea, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan ever survice snow falls?
You, Americans, are such neurotic wusses....
Think anyone will notice that no one is working?
I think the Chelsea workers who stayed home because of a state of emergency that didn't affect them should be required to work, and let the ones who actually worked those days stay home.
must be nice to be a government employee... too bad business and the private sector can't just shut down for the day...
This is disgusting! State Workers get a free day off on my tax dollars because of snow..... We live in New England, we get snow, this nothing new! Aw you might be stuck in horrible traffic and not get home for 10 whole hours, oh boo hoo. Get to work you lazy bums.
'What do you want to do when you grow up?'
'I want to be a non-essential state worker!'
If state workers have it so easy, why don't the people who are crying get a state job.
If this is not a microcosm of Caddilac Deval..I don't know what is...we need to have him impeached
ah, to be a state worker....
the snow isn't even going to start until 3 or so.
It's not about how much it snows...it's about when it snows. I.E. if it snows during rush hour it is a nightmare that clogs our roads making plowing and emergency services impossible. Last year kids got stuck on their school buses until 10pm+. Granted state workers should have worked some of the day, but the same thing happened last year when everyone got let out at the same time during 1-2 inches an hour snow fall. The roads were packed and it took 6 hours to go 30 miles. It didn't work last year and it wouldn't work this year. Whats more important...productivity or safety? The majority of the posts seem to side with productivity until the safety of a loved one comes into play.
Plenty of businesses in the private sector have either closed shop for the day or are relasing workers early so I am not sure why some of you are pretending like a major snow event during the work day isn't a significant hinderance - especially when the storm one year ago under very simliar circumstances was such a tremendous mess.
Non-essential state workers................sort of a redundancy.
Why can't these non-esential state workers work from home. Heck, they can go out and shovel the driveways of the people who have to work today.
And I quote, from the Herald: "Patrick and Menino were hammered by critics last year after they told workers to leave early on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2007, which as it turned out contributed to hours-long gridlock." So they try to do things differently this year, effectively removing a huge number of commuters from the equation to make things better, and everyone STILL complains. Why am I not surprised? All you negative nancies need to put things in perspective!
Mike - Please ,please ,please can i have a state job? I'm no one's nephew or son in law but, there must be a no-show commision job i can do.
State workers at not working? Isn't this called "business as usual?"
Im from Australia and I cant wait. ive been waiting for a chance to use these new snow boots of mine. bring on the snow!!!
My company is closing at noon, so at least I get paid for HALF the day. I would like to get paid time off.
I want a job that will pay me when I don't show up, because of a few inches of snow, that all the hardworking tax payers will pay for. Gotta love this state????
I assume all State workers who take today off aren't getting paid just like those in the "Dreaded Private Sector" right?
Stop crying about state workers not working, when you are clearly sitting on Boston.com and posting instead of doing your jobs!
Not ALL state workers are off today. I am one of them and working until we close at 12pm. State workers (and I quote from the website) "who work within the Executive Branch of state government, should not report to their workplace today."
Wow - you people are bitter! Does no one remember the mess of last year when everyone left at once? People were stuck in their cars for hours and hours - it was chaos. Let them have the day off - why do we care?
This group is good at complaining. Its a trade off & you guys chose not to take it. There are SOME benefits of being a state/public employee--the work is pretty stable although the pay, generally, isn't as good as the private sector. If you really begrudge these people a day off, go work for the state. Or stop complaining.
Sam, you're just being silly. Everyone that lives in those countries you listed gets to ski to work...their commute is much easier than ours.
Mike - because I choose to do something more challenging and productive for society and our economy in business and I DONT want to have it easy.
Rather than let the workers out early or tell them not to come in, why don't they tell them to stay at their jobs until the snow emergency is over? That way these tax burdens won't clog the roads and might actually get some useful work done...
Hey SAm...are you an "American"?
I have no choice...I am in the office today... brought some food and dvds to watch just in case i get stuck sleeping in the office aftter work. I refuse to be stuck in traffic for a few hours for a 10 mile drive. Some people dont have the luxury of working from home !!!!
Hey, I work in Weymouth and live in Braintree and it took me 2 hours to get home last year. My boss told me we could leave (small company only two of us here) when it starts snowing...It's better to be safe then sorry...Plus, it's the Friday before Christmas, how productive can people be..I have been here 3.5 hours and our phone has not rung once...it's not busy so why not go home and enjoy it.
It's better to keep people off the roads, instead of everyone getting out at the same time., just causes a mess.
your all just mad because you have to work today...get over it.
Nice work Duuuuuvalll and Mumbles ...... bet the state workers will have no problems getting home from the bars tonight after celebrating another day off on us .....snow is really coming down @ 12 o'clock ....slackas .... bet Chicago IL...is off today too ...
We live in New England. It snows here. Anyone seen White Christmas? Hold up a ruler next to your leg. A foot doesn't even reach your knee...it's not a lot. This is not the end of the world. Everyone needs to relax.
All these people that are complaining that State Workers supposedly have it so easy, are the very same that would be complaining had there been a repeat of last year's mess. They'd want to know why "the state" didn't do anything to prevent the traffic mess, they'd blame "the state" for not doing anything about it. I'm not a state worker, but it does seem to me that the officials in charge of deciding this are attempting to set an example to the private sectors of business as well. The state is encouraging people to take it safe today and are attempting to avoid messy traffic jams - one should think to be happy about that!
Good attitude Jono C. (comemnt #27) However - now that you are in New England, we have very strict rules you must follow. You are allowed to enjoy the snow but only secretly. In public you MUST complain about it. (Have fun!)
I wonder if the people who are complaining about lost productivity are at work right now? No way...that would be too ironic.
The storm on December 13, 2007 started in the morning. Schools were not released on time and the majority of businesses let employees go home at 2 PM. This created gridlock.
This storm was not even supposed to start until mid-day. It's 12:45 PM now and I've ZERO snowflakes here in Westwood/Blue Hills.
It's so easy. Schools should have had normal "Early Release" schedules and State employees should have been sent home on a staggered schedule as conditions warranted. This is how those of us in the private sector do it.
Giving anyone the entire day off is foolish and panic driven. Period.
If state workers have it so easy, why don't the people who are crying get a state job.
Posted by Mike December 19, 08 10:09 AM
I am not qualified for a state job. I do not have any relatives that can "get me in". Oh, also.............I'm not stupid and corrupt.
Oh well my last day working for the Commonwealth and I don't even have to come in!!!!
14 years out the window!!
I am ready for the unemployment line.
Thanks to all of you for working so I can take the winter off! I think will go back to my $9.00 job as a lifeguard!
I hope you all hate me since I worked for the state!
Oh well, I still have my Pats and Bruins Season tickets. Boy, I wish I was on the take, I would have had a blast!
I'm a payroll patriot and I want a State job.... Where do I sighn up? I may even convert to a Democrat.
Stop whining. Most of you don't generate enough tax revenue to to pay for these peoples' jobs.
Send me an email, and I'll refund your hard-earned .17 cents that went to pay for these workers not to risk thier life and mine by driving in this mess.
You are idiots. All of you.
Private sectors workers work hard......but then for some reason, probably because they are so efficient and great, they beg for bailouts...and then they complain that state workers will be out of work with their families and friends just for one day
Bob Dwyer, right on! I have no problem with the early release of schools. But it is 1:15pm in Woburn and there is no snow yet. No need to give the entire day off.
Since when is 11" for the Boston area an upgrade? I guess the Weather Channel has been watching the Boston weathermen because they've been saying 10"-12" for the last two-and-a-half days.
We get out at 2:00 over here but still get paid until 6:00! Pretty freakin' sweeeeeeeet! :-D
Just for the record:
I am a state employee, and if I take the day off, I have to use my vacation or sick time. I dont know where all of you got the idea that we get the day off with pay. I am at work because I am classified as an emergency employee (and I am on lunch break, as I can hear the right wing pin heads ask why I am on this site while at work).
I didnt get a "relative" to get me my job, and I am not corrupt, and frankly crisnj, you are showing your true ignorance.....wahhh I can't get a state job.......I have an idea, try getting an education and working for it, there is a novel concept.
I love how people think we have it so easy as state employee's....we have substandard pay, and average bennies (the days of government employees getting great bennies are long gone). Get a clue people, this isn't the early 80's.
80 and sunny here in palm beach florida.....massachusetts is the pits of the earth....what a dump!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Question is: Will DeMasi work today? I mean his corruption can't stop for a mere foot of snow!
Blogs are a way for people to validate their non-educated positions on the issue at hand. So, don't take this stuff too seriously. Most people, and I do not care where you work, want to take the easy way out will want to go home because of the snow. It happens everywhere. People salivate over the snow and “call-in” even before the snow hits the ground. It’s a way of life for most people…taking the easy way out is better for them, it’s less work. I bet they live their entire life that way.
Blogs are a way for people to validate their non-educated positions on the issue at hand. So, don't take this stuff too seriously. Most people, and I do not care where you work, want to take the easy way out will want to go home because of the snow. It happens everywhere. People salivate over the snow and “call-in” even before the snow hits the ground. It’s a way of life for most people…taking the easy way out is better for them, it’s less work. I bet they live their entire life that way.
As always, its more entertaining to read Bostonian comments then the actual article itself.
Hello....this is New England....as far as I can remember it has snowed in New England. The goverment and the media are acting like it never snows up hear. Yes, last year was a difficult commute, but we survived. Years ago schools, business and goverment offices nveer closed. Did Duvall mess this one up YES, did many of the schol districts mess this opne up YES, did the media over hype this, YES...It is almost 2:00 and not a flake has fallen. I'm not saying that it may not get bad out there but We have to stop giving into the sensationalist media and get back to our hardy New England roots.
I'm in college and I just got home from school for winter break last night!!
Please don't hate me but I'm probably the ONLY one here that's excited about the snowstorm!!!
I feel bad for everyone else that's stuck in the office...I hope you're able to get home as soon as you can and that you're not stuck in traffic! Who knows, maybe Deval's plan might help some of you make it home a little quicker?? :)
Lazy good-fer-nuthin' commie pinko union slimeballs. They are bleeding companies dry. Back in the day, one would have to take a vacation day if one knocked off early for a potential snowstorm.
I'd like to remind you that it is those lazy state and city employees who come to your help when your car slides off the road, or you are having a heart attack
or you are mugged in the parking lot outside your workplace. It is those employees who will be sleeping on mats on the floor tonight alongside the hospitalized mentally ill you shun, or the cognitively impaired you can't take care of. Perhaps we should have a day without civil servants and see how we fare.
Sure there are those high profile cases when someone has been collecting a check for years without doing a day of work, but working for the state is largely a thankless task, often with shockingly limited resources.
Hey steven...thank goodness it isn't the early 80's! This state can't afford any more free handouts!
And that's too bad that you get docked the day...I guess having all of those mythical PAID holidays like Evacuation Day, Bunker Hill Day, and Patriots Day while the ENTIRE public sector works isn't enough...
We New Englanders should help one another instead of attacking
one another.
If you think a state job is so easy maybe you should apply for one?
Instead of attacking/complaining?
Last December at about this time when we had that terrible snowfall, as a private sector employee, it took me 6 hours to get home on 128, and that was only due to some exceptionally risky driving. I do not think for one minute - after that day - that we should consider operating as a state under those circumstances again, NO MATTER WHO THE EMPLOYEES ARE. It's really a matter of personal discretion combined with sensible judgement on behalf of the employer. Patrick is the public employee top dog - thus - its up to him and I support him.
"notorius" is not a word. But what can you expect from the Globe?
Here in Chicago we listened to forecasts of Armageddon for days. It was nothing. I live in Mass and here and snow in Boston is child's play compared to snow in Chicago Regardless, the media are desperate for news where there is none.
I don't really care who didn't go to work, who took the day off yadda yadda.
But I do think it's crazy schools were closed for the full day and some companies when it should have been 1/2 day.
Last year was bad. Stuck 4+ hours, 7 months pregnant. Ick.
If so many of the state workers are non-essential - then FIRE them ....the state needs the revenue, doesn't it?????
Mitch your the Man, (Comment 50), thank you for speaking some sense.
I have never heard so many complaining, jealous people in my life..... and don't tell me that those who are working today aren't mad and wishing that they had the same benefit of staying home or getting to leave a little early without being docked or penalized in some way.... .... it's predicted that we may be getting in excess of a foot of snow today and blizzard conditions.... keeping poeple off the roads is a common sense thing that improves safety for everyone...... maybe those compaining should be questioning how unfair and uncaring their employers and workplaces are to them.....
Aren't most state workers non-essential?
And once again, thanks to my friends who voted against eliminating the income tax.. Did the doomsday scenarios include state hacks not getting a free day off whenever there is a threat of snow? The horror! Glad to see it is us dummies in the private sector are the only ones feeling the pain off the recession..
A light rain brings traffic to a stop in this state. Gotta declare emergencies when the threat of snow approaches! Classic...
Last year = the state is incompetent because they should have kept the roads clear. What idiot let people go when the snow began falling?
This year = the state is incompetent for trying to keep the roads clear. Everyone should have had to work and been released when the snow fell.
DEAR GLOBAL WARMERS, IF YOU ARE SO WORRIED, THEN WHY DO YOU GET TO COMPLAIN......YOU LIVE WHERE YOU ALL BURN WAY WAY MORE FOSSILS THAN MOST LIVING IN THE USA. I SAY YOU ALL SHUT UP ABOUT IT OR MOVE SOUTH FOR THE WINTER AND QUIT USING ALL OUR FUEL TO STAY WARM, WHILE YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT GW. IDIOTS ALL OF YOU LIBS SUCK, LIBERALLY
Sorry...snow-blind for a moment! ;o)
I agree with #60...always more fun to read the comments! Has been snowing in RI for about an hour...way to go Mother Nature!
It never fails to amaze me how ALL these meterologists and "weather experts " love to hype these big storms.They must take some "secret pleasure " in making the Public all agitated and jittery by their weather prognostications.
I guess all you private sector people are sitting at work posting comments on Boston.com? That's very productive.
Posted by Oceanwavers: "If you think a state job is so easy maybe you should apply for one? Instead of attacking/complaining?" You usually have to know some hack to get a state job. I know a lot of state workers and the stories of sleeping on the job and 5 hour work days are sickening. I do feel bad for the 80K earning toll booth clerks/leaches though.
"Blogs are a way for people to validate their non-educated positions on the issue at hand"
so true, well said. That is why yes, the comments are often more entertaining than the article!
Well I am at work, and wont be getting out early while so many others here are, my boyfriend was let go at 2pm and I will be here til 6 at least, and I am really not productive, checking the weather all day!
but yeah, this is new england and December. Its going to snow. Its not the first or last time.
hello,
fellow bostonian here. well actually i live in florida now so i just wanted to rub it in. today is about 70 deg and sunny. hows the snow?
It's so funny how I am in my office right now still at work while my boss and manager are both working from home. MUST BE NICE!!!! I hope they feel bad when I am stuck on the highway trying to get home!!!
TV weathermen have succeeded in whipping people into mass hysteria. I can't concentrate at work with all the frantic conversations about the storm. Ridiculous.
The snow's beatiful suericio. How's your same-every-day-except-for-hurricanes weather in florida?
my friend at one of the large boston colleges had an "optional snow day" for today! I asked him if he was in Nursery school still... oh well...lets all walk up the hill both ways in 12 feet of show in our sandals! They better not get paid for not showing up unless it is a sick day/vacation day.
Actually, SAm (#11), I just got an email from a friend in Zagreb Croatia, who told me that their "Snow Services" division acts surprised every year with the first snowfall, as if they've never seen the stuff before. After having endured a 5.5 hour commute from Allston to Jamaica Plain because people freaked out last year over 6 inches of snow, I played it safe and shut my business down for the day. Easier to sit here with a laptop and catch up on stuff I've been putting off than to waste half a day in gridlock. Why people in NE can't handle a little snow is beyond me - I grew up in VT where school wasn't canceled unless there was at least 8 inches.
here in portland oregon, we got a total of about 4 inches of snow over the course of 3 "storms" in a WEEK, and schools in the area were closed for 4-5 days. as a former bostonian, it's pretty funny to see portlanders freak out about driving in a dusting of snow.
Clearly, none of us are working that hard if we're on boston.com, trashin' those who got to leave early today. Just sayin.
These comments are ridiculous. People criticized the handling of the storm last year because no one took enough action. This year, they are actually proactive and you complain. This is why you people get screwed by your government here - you're never going to be happy, so the people in charge might as well get what they want, at least they'll be happy! Welcome to Massachusetts...
I am a teacher in western mass., and I personally think we should have just had a early release day. I know all the schools closed because they did not want a repeat of last years storm. Furthermore, the forecast on accuweather as of last night was snow starting at 7:00AM. I got my call at 4:45 saying school was closed, not surprised, then looked on accuweather again and they changed it to 1:00. So the superintendents definately should have re-evaluated. Also, just for those teacher/state worker bashers, teachers don't get paid for today, we make the day up at the end of the year and are paid for that day. Same deal with the vacations, we are not paid over the summer, they take the base salary and spread it out instead of getting more per check during the actual school year.
To Lynn, Toto and others...thank you for articulating my thoughts. Personally I'm glad that so many places are shut so that we can clear the roads (and you're right, some of us are lucky enough that we could plan to work from home today and/or make up the hours lost). You guys are right, no matter what action is taken people are going to complain about it.
I was lucky enough to work from home today. Sure the snow didn't start till later. Last year I waited to till 3 to leave the office and it took my 6 and half hours to get home going 25 miles. No one should have to endure that much time sitting in a car not moving.
I think people are missing the point of the traffic around here anyway. Add regular traffic at 4-6pm and add a couple of inches of snow an hour and it equals a nightmare.
My sister lives in the Boston area, works in the private sector and was sent home early today. Where I am (southern Qc), I think the north pole would have to cave in on us before we'd get a day off... and I work in the public sector!
Wow, forget Slumdog Millionaire, this film is academy awards material.
Things must be really bad at the old globe.
Just an observation....from post # 10 thru now (#88) were all written after 9:00 am thru 4:00 pm. Working folks (?) complaining about Gov't workers having the day off?!? Did you also take the day off - or are you using your employers computer to read the Globe online and post comments........
I think, those of whining about gov't workers, tax dollars, etc are either hyprocrites or losers who don't even have a job to take off from.
Ditto comment 60.
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
INside Boston.com