Most state offices will be closed to the public Friday due to the expected winter storm, Gov. Charlie Baker’s office said Thursday as it urged residents to stay off the road as the snow moves across Massachusetts.
The Baker administration directed non-emergency state workers not to report in-person to their jobs in executive branch agencies on Friday. Employees who can telework will be expected to do so, and Registry of Motor Vehicles employees will be contacted by their supervisors to discuss assignments and schedules. The RMV will post updates about its operations on its website and will contact people whose appointments are canceled or delayed, while all other executive branch offices will be closed to the public.
A National Weather Service winter storm warning, in effect from 1 a.m. Friday, covers eastern Massachusetts and southern Worcester County, with most of the rest of the state subject to a weather advisory. The NWS said snowfall rates of up to one inch per hour are possible in the warning area between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., with potentially up to 10 inches of accumulation in parts of southeastern Massachusetts.
“Our Administration is closely monitoring this storm and we want everyone to stay off the roads and to take public transit if possible tomorrow,” Baker said in a statement. “In addition, we urge employers to be flexible with workers and plan for difficult conditions on the roads tomorrow. Crews will be out treating roadways and plowing around the clock, and we ask everyone to give them the room they need to clear the roads.”
The Department of Transportation has about 3,900 pieces of equipment available — including more than 1,400 plow and spreader combos, 2,100 plows and 460 front-end loaders — and expects to deploy approximately 2,500 for this storm, Baker’s office said.
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