Worcester and Nearby Towns Face Slippery Start to Wednesday

Winter weather struck Central Massachusetts hard overnight. Freezing rain left roads slick and dangerous. Because of this, several school districts decided to start classes two hours late on Wednesday, January 7th. Worcester was one of the districts affected, along with Shrewsbury, Leicester, Fitchburg, and Clinton. The National Weather Service predicted temperatures would rise, reaching a high of 36 degrees in Worcester. However, light rain was expected to continue into the morning. This made driving conditions tricky for everyone.To handle the weather, Worcester put a parking ban in place. This meant residents could only park on the odd-numbered side of streets. Major roads had no parking at all. To help, the city offered free parking in several municipal garages. These included Federal Plaza, Pearl & Elm Garage, Worcester Common Garage, Union Station Garage, and Major Taylor Garage. A winter weather advisory was also in place until 10 a. m. on Wednesday. This advisory reminded everyone to be cautious and prepared for slippery conditions. The decision to delay school was a smart move. It gave crews more time to treat the roads and made sure students and staff could travel safely. While the weather was a hassle, the precautions taken helped keep everyone safe.