GREENFIELD — Winter Storm Niko dropped about 6 inches of snow in town by early Thursday afternoon, but Greenfield police said there were relatively few car accidents and other weather-related problems.
“The roads are nice and clear,” Lt. William Gordon said. “We’ve had a couple parking issues that we’ve addressed. We haven’t had to tow anybody that I’m aware of, and we started issuing winter parking violations in the early morning. The plows are getting through with no problems. Everybody’s doing exactly what they should do.”
Elsewhere in the region there were a few minor accidents, including incidents in Whately, Bernardston and another in Deerfield on Interstate 91.
Greenfield declared an emergency winter parking ban, prohibiting parking on both sides of all residential streets, from 6 a.m. Thursday through 6 a.m. Friday.
Gordon advised motorists to drive much slower than usual and said pedestrians should be aware that there’s ice under some of the snow on the sidewalks, and should take their time to avoid falls.
Department of Public Works Director Don Ouellette said the department’s first crews came in at 3 a.m. to pretreat roads with salt, and the plow crew was called in at 6 a.m. He said they began plowing about two hours later.
“It all depends on when the storm ends, but we’re planning on keeping them until 6 or 7 tonight, sending everybody home, and then we have a crew that comes in at midnight to clean up the downtown and all the side roads where we have parking meters,” he said.
Ouellette said there was about 6 inches of snow on the ground by 1 p.m., and expected Greenfield would see another 7 to 10 inches before the storm ends.
So far, he said the weather has been what the DPW expected.
“We’ve been in pretty good shape,” he said. ” I think we’re doing pretty good, actually.”
Thursday’s storm closed Greenfield Public Schools and caused the Franklin Regional Transit Authority to cancel Route 41 Charlemont, Route 23 Sunderland, Route 65 Downtown Greenfield Parking Shuttle and service into Greenfield Community College.
Schools were also closed in the North Quabbin region, and Sgt. James O’Neil of the State Police in Athol attributed the closures to an aim to lessen traffic.
“For the most part, people are doing the right thing and staying off the roads and letting the plows get control of this storm,” he said Thursday afternoon. “If they stay behind the plows, they’ll have a nice smooth ride.”
O’Neil said there were reports of a few drivers off the road, but no injuries. He said some drivers lost sight of where the road is, and that this is probably the worst snowstorm of the winter.
For those driving plows and clearing sidewalks like Carl Bravemann of Carl’s Four Season Yardscape Services, who was operating a snowblower in Buckland, Thursday’s snow meant a long day of work.
But for others, snowflakes brought a chance to get outside, away from work and school, and enjoy winter activities.
At recreational areas across the region like Highland Park and South Deerfield’s Mount Sugarloaf, crosscountry skiers donned skis and set out into fresh powder.
On the Beacon Field hill, sledders including Ainslee Flynn and Kameryn Dearborn made good use of their school’s snow day.