Boston Continues to Struggle with the Coldest Winter It Has Seen in over 30 Years
“This winter sucks,” says Gillian Dioguardi, a current resident of Boston, a sentiment that many across the city would agree with. Over the past few weeks, Boston has been plagued with bitter temperatures and what feels like unrelenting winter weather. This winter is the coldest Boston has experienced since 1994, with weeks of highs remaining below freezing and evening temperatures dipping below zero. Even with the recent thaw, with temperatures climbing to the high thirties to mid-forties, temperatures fell again with the large blizzard hitting Boston and the surrounding area hard beginning late Sunday, February 22.
The surplus of snow and ice that remains continues to cause issues across the city. Countless piles of icy snow and slippery slush puddles make sidewalks hard for pedestrians to navigate. Many of the snow piles have become quite significant, making it hard for sanitation workers to collect trash and recycling.
“It makes it tricky,” Boston resident Jessica Phone expressed. “I feel bad for the garbage men because they have to get the bins over the mounds of snow.”
Parking also remains a major issue, as the city continues to dig out spots covered by snow. Many are still using space savers such as chairs, traffic cones, trash cans, and other objects to reserve the spots they shoveled out themselves. They are legal during snow emergencies but are supposed to be removed 48 hours after the emergency has ended. However, that has not stopped people from continuing to use them. The parking issue has increased tensions and sometimes caused heated altercations between neighbors as people fight to keep the spot they shoveled out.
Public transportation has also been hit hard by the recent weather. The MBTA has suspended all ferry trips to Hingham, with areas of Boston Harbor being covered in sheets of ice. Many train lines are also struggling with lingering delays brought on by the cold and the snow, frustrating the commuters who rely on them.
The recent blizzard only complicates these issues further, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel with the start of spring less than a month away.
