There is currently a parking ban in effect (it apparently started awhile ago but was only posted online recently).  If your car is in the surface lot, it needs to be moved ASAP.  There is free parking in all city garages for residents without off-street parking available.  More info here.

The city expects to be doing more snow removal in the downtown area tonight from midnight until about 6:30 am.  If you expect to be out and about during those hours, please be aware that there may be traffic delays.

The city’s parking ban is being lifted as of 5:00 am tomorrow, the 4th.  Any cars that have been parking in the garage without a pass need to be moved by 7:00 am or face parking fees.

(Of course, I would have to get this news 15 minutes after I already posted today!)

The city will be removing snow from the downtown area between midnight and 7:00 am tomorrow morning.  If you expect to be going in or out during those hours, be sure to leave extra time to get around the equipment and workers.

I’ve added a link on the Useful Links and Condo Living pages to a pdf of the City of Lowell Parking Department Rules and Regulations.  The brochure is dated 2012 but I believe it’s current.

I didn’t make it to the January board meeting—it got postponed due to the blizzard and then I forgot—but I did get the latest on the fountain, for those who’ve been asking. The new fountain has been scheduled for inspection and testing twice; both times the appointment was snowed out (including today). Hopefully, the next time Mother Nature will give us a break and we’ll actually have a working fountain again!

If you’re interested in an amusing take on local wintry weather from 133 years ago, here’s an item from the Lowell Courier, December, 1848:

“After all, one could kill off the creeping gloom, by watching people mince along as though upon very thin shelled eggs, with now and then an involuntary shuffle and rigadoon. It looked odd, to see handsome ladies start a “forward and back” and “right and left” figure; or grave old gentlemen begin a busy rat-tat shuffle, on a floor of glassy ice, and neither of them look happy about it, either. All the world have been dancing without music and even church members have been cutting figures in all sorts of antics and queer postures.”

And finally—at the risk of cluttering up the bulletin board with excessive silliness—I think the snow is getting to me.  I’m starting to see strange things across from my window….. 😉

Here we go again.  The city of Lowell has declared a snow emergency as of 6:00 this afternoon.  If you’re parked in the surface lot, please move your car to the garage.  All city garages will be open to city residents at no charge during the emergency.  More info here.

Another “oops” on my part, Folks.  The senior discount for monthly parking passes starts at age 62, not 60.  Sorry about that!

Both the Board meeting and the LDNA meeting tonight have been cancelled for obvious reasons.  But LDNA has sent me a bunch of interesting links and info worth sharing (it’s easy to get on their e-mail list via the LDNA link above).

Emergency Shelters:  The Lowell, Massachusetts Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be activated at 6:00PM tonight. Any non-emergency storm related questions should be directed to 978-674-4052.

National Grid # 1-800-465-1212 or 1-800-322-3223

Per Gov. Baker, there is a statewide travel ban beginning at midnight tonight.

Please follow the Lowell Police Department (Official) Facebook page for more information.

All garages will be available as a destination for this snow emergency parking ban. The information has been posted on the City website and has been “tweeted” on the Parking Department twitter account.

Notes from COOL that were to be shared at tonight’s cancelled Downtown Neighborhood meeting can be seen here. They include a number of upcoming downtown events.

There is a snow emergency officially in effect in Lowell as of now.  Please do not park in the surface lot.  If your car is there now, please move it to the garage ASAP.

While we’re on the subject of parking, I thought I’d mention that there’s a significant discount (almost 50%) on monthly parking passes for anyone over sixty.  We stumbled on this fact several months after we could have taken advantage of it, an oversight that cost us about $100 in unnecessary fees.  So if you pay for a second space in the Leo Roy Garage and have turned 60 since signing up, make sure you ask about the discount!

And, if anyone was wondering why last night’s post appeared with today’s date, it’s because I hadn’t thought to change the automatic time stamp from UTC (Coordinated Universal Time).  Posts going forward should be time-stamped in regular, old East Coast time.

The Lowell Police Department has declared a snow emergency and parking ban as of 2:00 am Saturday, the 24th.  Please move your car to the garage before you go to bed tonight if you are parked in the surface lot.  Vehicles left in the lot during a snow emergency may be towed at the owner’s expense.  The announcement from the Police Department can be found here.

There is a board meeting in the lobby office on Monday evening at 7:00 (not to be confused with the previously announced LDNA meeting at LTC).  Residents are welcome.