by John Osborn
Updated at 1 p.m., Feb. 2, 2015
For the second time in a week, the Town of Harvard shut down today, Monday, Feb. 2, as a fresh winter storm pushed its way into central Massachusetts with forecasters estimating total snow accumulation of 10 to 14 inches before the storm ends late tonight.
Closed for the day are the schools, Town Hall, the Council on Aging and the library. Also closed is the General Store on the Common, according to an email sent to its newsletter subscribers Sunday evening.
While there is no statewide travel ban in effect, Governor Charles Baker urged commuters last night to use public transportation and "to drive carefully and anticipate a very difficult commute." State offices, he said, would remain open. Ditto for federal offices. Here in Harvard, the Ayer Road post office is open all day; the Still River post office opened at its usual Monday time of 12:30 p.m.
Third quarter property taxes are due today, but with town offices closed residents had to choose between either to paying online at the town website or waiting for Town Hall to reopen Tuesday morning. Finance Director Lorraine Leonard said that because of the way the town’s system is coded, property owners who can’t pay today will be charged interest. But as long as the payment is received tomorrow, she said, those fees will be waived.
The townwide ban on street parking remains in effect "until further notice,” Harvard Police Chief Edward Denmark said today. “With the width of the snow banks, parking on the street will take up a travel lane, so until we can widen the travel ways, there will be no on street parking.” Where it does not interfere with two-lane traffic, parking "off the pavement" is permitted, such as along Mass. Avenue between the General Store and Pond Road. Violators will be fined $50.
The National Weather Service forecast for the rest of today is for more snow, heavy at times, with a high temperature near 16 degrees Fahrenheit and wind chill values as low as minus 5 degrees. Wind is from the north at 9 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.
More snow is likely tonight, mainly before 11 p.m. Cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing, with a low around 2 degrees. Wind chill values as low as -10 degrees. Northwest wind 11 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
A winter storm warning for Harvard will remain in effect until 1 a.m. tonight. Tomorrow the sun returns.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect a 2-inch increase in expected snow accumulation, confirmation that a townwide ban on street parking remains in effect, and options for paying third quarter property taxes payments due today.