It’s Not Nemo

The latest information from city emergency management chief Rick Fontana on Winter Storm Juno, as of 8:30 a.m.:

• The storm, originally projected to dump two to three feet of snow on the city, is now projected to dump 18 inches.
• About a foot has fallen already. The snow is expected to continue falling until midnight.
• Thanks to the success of a parking ban and tagging-and-towing operation, plow crews were able to keep the streets passable overnight. ​“We’ve never done so many that quickly,” Fontana said of the tagging and towing. ​“We wanted to make sure [we did] the enforcement we said we were going to do.”
• The parking ban remains in effect until Thursday 2 p.m. After a conference call later this morning with the state, the city might reevaluate the end point.
• Same with the travel ban.
• No power losses were reported in the city.
• One family — a mother, boyfriend, and two children — called the city from the Ferry Street McDonald’s looking for a place to stay overnight. The Livable City Initiative (LCI) arranged for them to stay at an Econolodge.

“Last night was a quiet night. When you drove through the city last night, it was a ghost town,” Fontana said. ​“There were no vehicles on the road. People really listened to the message. We don’t want to tow anybody.”