On-street parking will be prohibited during the Snow Emergency for the storm that could drop more 18 inches of snow on Watertown. Several City facilities will be closed Monday, and trash and recycling will be impacted by the storm.
Watertown falls near the area where WCVB Channel 5 forecasts 18 inches of snow. The National Weather Service issued a Blizzard Warning from Sunday at 4 p.m. to Monday at 7 a.m. with sustained winds of 25 mph and gusts up to 54 mph. It will be the first blizzard in the area for four years, according to WCVB.
As of 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, the Watertown Public Schools have not announced whether or not Monday will be a snow day.
Snow Emergency
The City sent out the following announcement:
The City of Watertown has declared a snow emergency, going into effect today, Sunday, February 22, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The snow emergency remains in effect until further notice.
All on-street parking is strictly prohibited. Vehicles left on the street will receive a $100 fine and will be towed. Please visit City’s City’s Winter Parking Ban Information page to learn of free off-street parking options during snow emergencies. Residents can begin moving vehicles into these off-street locations immediately.
Parking Alternatives
The Snow Emergency means vehicles cannot park on the streets overnight. For people without off-street parking, there are multiple municipal, school, and other parking lots to leave vehicles.
Off Street Parking Options in Watertown
Type of Parking Lot Name/Location Details (If Applicable) Number of Spaces & Handicap Spaces Municipal Parking Lot Behind CVS at 27 Main Street Use metered spaces only 239 spaces Municipal Parking Lot Behind the Public Library – 123 Main Street 22 spaces & 6 handicap spaces Municipal Parking Lot Behind CVS at 655 Mt. Auburn Street Use metered spaces only. Do not park in spaces designated for CVS, or other private businesses 25 spaces & 2 handicap spaces Visitor Parking Lot Police Station – 552 Main Street Visitor’s parking lot only 28 spaces School Parking Lot Hosmer Elementary School – 1 Concord Road Vehicles must be removed from school property no later than 6AM 22 spaces & 2 handicap spaces School Parking Lot Lowell School – 123 Lowell Ave Vehicles must be removed from school property no later than 6AM 22 spaces & 2 handicap spaces School Parking Lot Cunniff Elementary School – 246 Warren Street Vehicles must be removed from school property no later than 6AM 48 spaces & 6 handicap spaces School Parking Lot Watertown Middle School – 68 Waverly Avenue Vehicles must be removed from school property no later than 6AM 43 spaces & 6 handicap spaces School Parking Lot Watertown High School (Temporary Site) – 27 Westminster Avenue Vehicles must be removed from school property no later than 6AM 122 spaces & 5 handicap spaces Field Parking Lot Victory Field – 40 Orchard Street *Currently unavailable due to construction 44 spaces Park/School Parking Lot O’Connell Park – Lot at the corner of Boylston Street and Mt Auburn Street, where the solar panels are located. Vehicles must be removed from school property no later than 6AM 50 spaces Park Parking Lot Filippello Park – Lot at 191 Grove Street No parking in the spaces along the driveway 55 spaces & 4 handicap spaces Municipal Parking Lot 50 Howard Street 19 spaces and 1 handicap space Municipal Parking Lot Parker Building -124 Watertown Street Vehicles must be removed from property no later than 6AM 89 spaces & 4 handicap spaces Private Lot 101-103 Morse Street – Spaces at the rear of the parking lot Spaces are marked with yellow striping and signs. These spots cannot be used in the case of a Snow Emergency 14 spaces Private Garage 250 Arsenal Place parking garage Spaces are marked with signs on the top level of the parking garage. These spots cannot be used in the case of a Snow Emergency 10 spaces Private Garage Linx Garage – 490 Arsenal Way – Entrance to Parking Garage is located on Nichols Ave Spaces are located on the upper level of the garage and will soon be marked with signs. 7 spaces
Monday Closures
All Watertown municipal buildings are closed on Monday, February 23. This includes:
- Watertown City Hall
- Watertown Free Public Library
- Watertown Senior Center
- Parker Building
- Watertown Department of Public Works (DPW)
- John A. Ryan Arena
- All Watertown Recreation programs are cancelled
Please Stay Safe & Off the Roads
This storm is expected to bring very dangerous conditions, including high winds up to 70 mph, heavier snow exceeding 20 inches, and blizzard conditions. This may cause downed powerlines or trees. We are strongly asking residents to please stay off the roads during the storm, stay away from any down trees or powerlines, and remove your vehicles from the curbs for your and everyone’s safety.
Trash & Recycling Delay
All trash and recycling pickup is delayed at least one day this week due to the storm. We will announce an updated pickup schedule in future storm messages as the storm progresses. Please remove your bins from the curb to allow space for our plows to clear snow without obstruction.
Staying up to date
Please anticipate future updates about the storm at the following locations:
- The City’s website homepage and on this webpage.
- The City’s Facebook and Instagram
- The City’s Everbridge emergency alert system: Sign Up Today,