Stoneham Storm Center: Schools Closed Monday

This Storm Center article will be updated with cancellations, reports from around Stoneham and more during the Nemo Blizzard.

Add your photos of the storm to this gallery!

Sunday, 5:30 p.m.

• . Stoneham joins many school districts in the area that are staying closed on Monday as clean up from the blizzard continues.

Sunday, 4:45 p.m.

• We haven't seen or heard any official notification about Stoneham Public Schools for Monday, but we're monitoring and will post a breaking news alert (which you can sign up for here) as soon as we hear anything.
  

Sunday, 12:53 p.m.

• Limited MBTA service on Sunday starting at 2 p.m. Limited subway and bus service will run on the Red, Orange and Blue lines between Orient Heights and Government Center, and the Green Line between Kenmore and Lechmere, according to MBTA.com/weather. Limited bus service will also operate on the 1, 23, 28, 39, and Silver Line Washington Street only. Customers are encouraged to stay home and "use service sparingly," if possible, the website said. Commuter rail routes will remain suspended through Sunday.

Saturday, 11:19 p.m.

• No T on Sunday. According to the MBTA's website, "MBTA service will remains suspended on all modes through Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013."

Saturday, 1:40 p.m.

• In regard to MBTA service, Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary Richard Davey said the following shortly before 1:30 p.m. at a televised press conference: "Our goal, if we can, is to have some service tomorrow, but we're really focusing on Monday's rush hour."

Saturday, 1 p.m.

• Gov. Deval Patrick has announced he is lifting the driving ban for west of I-91 and Nantucket effective immediately. Stoneham and the rest of the state will have the driving ban lifted at 4 p.m.

Saturday, 12:10 p.m.

• Message from the Senior Center: "Stoneham senior citizens who need assistance shoveling their walkways and/or front steps should leave a message at the Senior Center (781) 279-2605. Leave your name, address and a contact telephone number. Volunteers will be available after the storm is over to assist. We have a number of volunteers including high school and middle school students already lined up, but anyone who wishes to volunteer to shovel walkways and steps for seniors should leave a message as well. We will do our best to honor all requests for assistance."

Saturday, 11:20 a.m.

• Mail service in all of New England has been suspended.

Saturday, 10:30 a.m.

• The statewide travel ban is still in effect.  

• NECN is reporting that MBTA service will not be restored today. The goal is to restore service on Monday.

• Stoneham Patch will be calling town officials and find out how everything's going. Keep checking back for more updates.

Saturday, 1:42 a.m.

• Even as the wind has picked up and other areas in Massachusetts—particularly on the South Shore—have been hit with power outages, according to NSTAR's online map, Stoneham has been spared so far from any loss of electricity. Police scanners were quiet most of the night, too—probably not many cars out on the road due to the governor's travel ban. Stoneham Patch will check back in with the DPW on Saturday morning to see how the town weathered the storm over night.

Friday, 5:13 p.m.

• Been pretty quiet on the scanners today—sounds like most Stonehamites heeded all the warnings and stayed home. There were accidents elsewhere, though, and the worst of the storm is overnight (including the wind gusts). Stay tuned for any important news—we'll send out a breaking news alert (which you can sign up for here) for anything major, like power outages.

Friday, 2:30 p.m.

• More closings, delays added to Cancellations section below, including BJ's in Stoneham.
  

Friday, 1:33 p.m.

• Stoneham Police officer responding to non-storm related calls says over radio that streets are starting to get bad out there. If you're not home already, get home soon.

Friday, 12:58 p.m.

• Gov. Deval Patrick has ordered a ban on motor vehicle traffic effective at 4 p.m. Public safety, health, DPW workers, utility workers and media are exempt. Penalties for violating the ban go up to one year in jail and a $500 fine. State will also stop collecting tolls at 2 p.m.

Friday, 11:20 a.m.

• We've added more cancellations and closings below, including Eastern Bank and a note from the Archdiocese of Boston to Catholic parishoners.

• Fairly quiet on the public safety airwaves, as light snow continues to fall.

Friday, 10:46 a.m.

• Stoneham was originally planning on 18-24 inches of snow, but the latest forecast is closer to three feet.

• Check out how much snow has fallen with this live map that shows snowfall in the past 24 hours.

Friday, 8 a.m:

• Hallmark Health offers these tips for shoveling snow safely.

• A reader advised us: If you have a flat roof, try to stay on top of the storm. Heavy snow totals can cause severe damage to these types of homes. 

Bored? Want to hang out with a bunch of other people riding out the storm, and get up-to-the-second updates from Patch, state organizations and police and fire departments? Join us at our Live Chat: Blizzard of 2013.

The current storm:

• 18-24 inches of snow and blizzard conditions with wind gusts as high as 55 mph on Friday night into Saturday.
  

Previous coverage: 

• Blizzard Warning Issued for Stoneham
• Stoneham Preps for Blizzard of '13
• Will Your Business Be Open During the Blizzard?
• NSTAR Offers Tips to on How to Prepare for Snowstorm

French Toast Alert Level:

• Severe
  

Snow Emergency Parking Restrictions:

• Snow emergency in effect as of midnight on Thursday night: on street parking is prohibited until further notice.

• The regular winter on street parking ban is in effect each day from 1-6 a.m. from Dec. 1 until April 1.

• The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Commissioner Ed Lambert declared a snow emergency and parking ban on all DCR roadways and parkways posted for snow emergency starting at noon on Friday, February 8 and remaining in effect until further notice. During the emergency, parking is prohibited on any DCR road, street, or parkway that is posted with "Snow Emergency" signs.

Schools:

• Stoneham Public Schools closed on Friday

Other Cancellations and Closings:

• MBTA service is suspended on all lines effective 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8.

• Eastern Bank branches are closing at noon on Friday. Stoneham's Eastern Bank branch is at 163 Main St.

• StonehamBank is closing today at 1 p.m. on Friday.Branch in Stoneham at 80 Montvale Ave.

• Overhead on scanner: BJ's Wholesale Club will closing at 3 p.m. in Stoneham at 80 Cedart St.

• Sen. Katherine Clark has canceled her office hours scheduled for Friday at 11:30 at Stoneham’s Council on Aging. Please contact Jessica Leitz, Senator Clark’s Chief of Staff, with any questions at 617-722-1206.

• Boston Bruins home game on Saturday has been pushed from a 1 p.m. to a 7 p.m. start.

• The Boston Archdiocese asks Catholics to "exercise prudence this weekend as they seek to fulfill their Sunday Mass obligation ... the Office of Divine Worship urges all Catholics to heed the travel advisories of their cities and towns, and to stay off the roads during the peak hours of the storm and plow operation. The faithful are encouraged to use good judgment when planning to travel to Mass. Hopefully the storm will have passed on Saturday, and roadways will be clear for travel on Sunday. In the event that roadways are not clear for travel on Sunday, the faithful are reminded that the obligation to attend Sunday Mass does not apply when there is grave difficulty in fulfilling this obligation. (See Code of Canon Law, Canon 1248 §2)"

• E-mail your cancellations and reports from around the city to stoneham@patch.com or post them in the comments below. Also, e-mail us photos of the storm or sign in with your Melrose Patch account or Facebook account and add them to this article.

Trash and Recycling Pickup:

• There is no change to the pickup schedule on Friday. Trash and recycling will be picked up as usual.

In case of emergency:

List of town departments

• Police/fire emergencies: 911
• Stoneham Police Department: 781-438-1215
• Stoneham Fire Department: 781-438-0127
• Stoneham Department of Public Works: 438-0760
• National Grid power outages : 800-465-1212
• National Grid gas emergencies: 800-233-5325
• Comcast : 800-266-2278
• Verizon : 800-837-4966 (VERIZON)

List of cab companies:

• Taxi Time: 781-662-0300 ‎
• Malden Taxi: 781-322-5050 and 781-324-5050
• Malden Cab Company: 781-322-5050 
• Oak Grove Cab: 781-665-5050 ‎
• Stoneham Taxi: 781-279-2828
• Tan Taxi: 781-395-6666

List of tow companies:

• Stephen's Autobody: 781-665-7828
• Andy's Service Center (Malden): 781-324-7505
• Culleton Brothers (Malden): 781-322-4665
• Kearney's Towing (Stoneham): 781-438-8484
• Stoneham Towing Inc.: 781-438-3500
• Phil Howe's Towing (Wakefield): 781-245-2468
• Advanced Auto Transport (Wakefield): 781-246-5831