Framingham Ready For Storm; 85 Pieces of Equipment On The Road

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FRAMINGHAM – New England Weather is unpredictable, and this storm is the perfect example. It has been raining, sleeting, and snowing today, December 5, but Acting Framingham Highway Director Kathryn D. Ronconi is prepared for whatever Mother Nature brings.

The first woman to hold the position, she said Framingham DPW is prepared and attacking the storm, to keep the City’s roads safe.

Earlier today, the sanders were out to treat the roads.

“We have 20 sanders divided among three geographical areas and a supervisor per area,” said Ronconi.

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“At this point, we have our plow equipment in as well so the total is closer to 85 pieces of equipment on the road,” said Ronconi, who said DPW crews were out responding to the storm at 11 a.m. today.

She said one issue with this storm has been the “inconsistent forecasts preceding the event with varying levels of accumulation due to the difficulty in determining the changeover from rain to snow.”

The National Weather Service changed the the alert from a watch to a Winter Storm Warning just before 4 p.m.

The forecast for tonight is an “additional snow accumulations of 3 to 5 inches, with winds gusting as high as 45 mph.”

The warning is in effect until Sunday at 7 a.m.

“We are also concerned about high winds in conjunction with the heavy, wet snow which could be an issue for tree damage,” said Ronconi.

Power outages are expected with the heavy wet snow and winds.

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The City of Framingham has yet to put out its sand barrels, but “sand is available for residential use at the Recycling Center with a valid permit.”

Residents are asked to be alert to plows & sanders on the roads tonight and overnight.

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