Published February 13, 2019
WAKEFIELD — A winter storm that began just about when weather forecasters said it would dumped 4 inches of snow and a considerable amount of rain on Wakefield streets and driveways yesterday.
The DPW reported no major issues except for a few flooding incidents and an 8-inch water main break on Crescent Street between about Lincoln Street and Water Street. The water main work took a half dozen DPW employees off of the full plow operation about 10:30 last night as they began repairs. DPW Director Richard Stinson said he hoped water service would return for those living in about 25 homes in the area sometime this morning.
Also, a catch basin in front of the Main Street headquarters of The Savings Bank in the Square clogged up, flooding about six parking spaces downtown as water reached the top of the curb.
Stinson said the timing of the storm proved problematic, with a lot of people leaving work early as the storm ramped up by mid-afternoon. “Once the traffic was gone, it was a pretty simple snow removal operation,” Stinson explained. By 7 last night, town streets were virtually empty, he reported.
TOWN CREWS were out early yesterday afternoon to stay ahead of the storm. (Colleen Riley Photo)
DPW crews began pre-treating road surfaces around 11:30 yesterday morning and went to a full salting operation around 1:30 p.m. Plowing began around 4:30 p.m. with private contractors called in around 5. A relatively light snow to shovel, it would turn to a mix of sleet and rain around 10:30 last night and then to a heavy rain at periods overnight. This morning, the snow was saturated with water and slush was everywhere as temperatures warmed overnight. Today thermometers were expected to reach into the 40s.
Stinson said there were no major equipment failures that would have slowed the plowing operation, and credited both his men and the contractors working about 40 private pieces of snow removal equipment with doing a great job.
It was a busy Tuesday all around for the town’s public safety departments.
Police, for example, reported a disabled motor vehicle around 2:20 p.m. at North Avenue and Quannapowitt Parkway.
At 2:52 p.m. police were told of a motor vehicle crash requiring an ambulance on Route 128 north near the Route 129 exit.
Another motor vehicle accident was reported a minute later at the intersection of Spring and Greenwood streets.
At 3:10 p.m. there was a motor vehicle accident along a stretch of Main Street, and another around 3:30 p.m. on North Avenue.
Two vehicles were moved after police were told they were impeding snow removal on Pitman Avenue around 5:50 p.m. yesterday.
A vehicle was towed from Columbia Road for just that reason at about 6:40 p.m.
Another vehicle blocking snow removal on Centre Street was towed just after 11 p.m.
Around 12:30 this morning, an Armory Street resident reported that a contractor plowing the CVS lot was pushing snow into the street and the resident’s driveway.
