'Dangerous and Life-Threatening Storm' Heading for Boston

As Monday moves into Tuesday, Boston continues to brace for a dangerous storm. The National Weather Service in Boston reported wind gusts of 62 MPH at Nantucket Airport. At the time, the NWS warned that the strongest winds were still hours away.

With a travel ban going into affect at midnight on Tuesday, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation sent out over 3,000 crews to clear out state roads late Monday night.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has declared a state of emergency and issued a statewide ban on non-essential motor vehicle travel that will go into effect at midnight. He announced at a noon press conference on Monday that all State offices and the MBTA public transit system will be closed on Tuesday.

The governor also urged the public to prepare for prolonged power outages and impassable roads.

“I can’t stress this part enough. Please stay off the roads,” he added.

Failure to abide the travel ban on all non-essential vehicles will carry a fine up to $500 dollars, reports WSBT.

(MORE: Juno: The Latest Forecast)

Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced early Monday afternoon a snow emergency will begin in the city at 6 p.m. and that towing of illegally parked vehicles will begin at 8 p.m. in the city. City garages will be open for use by residents for free, and many commercial garages are offering free or reduced rates, according to the city's website.

The mayor also said that the city's public schools will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. This announcement came after many of the city's private schools had already closed several hours early on Monday in advance of the storm's arrival, according to CBS Boston.

"Boston has been through blizzards before and I'm confident we are prepared," said Mayor Walsh. "But a storm this size poses a threat to the safety of our residents in many different ways, and we are taking it very seriously. I urge everyone to do their part: to put safety first." He urged residents to stay off the roads, heed the warnings and look in on their neighbors.

(MORE: Impacts on New York City | Upstate New York | New England | Mid-Atlantic)

All flights into and out of Logan International Airport will be cancelled after 7:30 p.m. Monday evening, said Director of Aviation at Massport, Edward Freni. This announcement came shortly after several airlines waived change fees for people looking to fly around the weather, reported BostInno. Several airlines had already canceled 55 Monday flights by 5 a.m. Monday morning.

"With a storm of this magnitude, it's our goal to keep everyone safe and to keep ahead of the storm," said Edward Freni at a press conference Monday morning.

This will be the first time Logan International Airport has ceased operations for a blizzard since February 2013, reports The Boston Globe.

Officials aim to resume flights out of the airport by late Wednesday morning, so crews will remain at the airport to clear the runways. Logan International AIrport has 13 specialized runway-clearing plows at the ready and a half-dozen high-speed blowers to disperse snow at the edge of runways, according to the Massachusetts Port Authority.

"We're anticipating a really serious event here," said Peter Judge, spokesperson for Massachusetts Emergency Management, in an interview with The Weather Channel. "We're going to work hard to reach out to folks and make sure they understand the severity of this event."

Mariners have also been warned of the dangers coming from Juno. With winds speeds of 55 mph or greater expected off the Massachusetts coast, the NWS issued a warning to all boaters to stay off the water from Monday night through Tuesday night.

"This is [a] dangerous and life-threatening storm and mariners should return to port by Monday afternoon," the release said.

Gov. Charlie Baker warned shore residents of a "very real threat" of "major coastal flooding" around 4 a.m. Tuesday and urged them to take precautions. 

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is on standby to co-ordinate support for coastal evacuations if necessary. The agency states that it is also ready to assist stranded drivers, provide shelters, and coordinate debris removal and utility restoration. 

The city of Boston also has over 700 pieces of snow removal standing by, reports the Boston Globe, as well as 35,000 tons of salt ready to treat slippery roads. The Public Works Department will begin pre-treating roads early Monday afternoon. 

Amtrak announced that it will operate a modified schedule for the remainder of Monday.  While service will continue, the company states that passengers should expect reduced frequencies. The company has also suspended Northeast Regional and Acela Express service between New York and Boston on Tuesday. Other suspensions include Amtrak Downeaster (Brunswick, Maine – Boston) and the Springfield line (New Haven, Connecticut – Springfield, Massachusetts), according to an Amtrak press release.

Several bus companies are also cutting back service and cancelling trips. The Bolt Bus carrier announced it is cancelling trips in the Northeast after 5:00 p.m. on Monday, while a notice on the Greyhound Lines website stated that they are cancelling several planned trips on Monday between Boston and New York City, Buffalo, and Montreal. Meanwhile, Megabus travelers are advised to check the status of their trip on the website.

All Boston Public Libraries will also be closed on Tuesday.

Boston Public Health Commission will be coordinating a city-wide network of emergency shelters, outreach providers, city agencies and first responders to assist the homeless during the storm. Shelters will be kept open during the day .

Any individual in Boston seeking shelter during the severe winter storm should go to Central Intake, located at Woods Mullen Shelter.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Winter Storm Juno Hits the Northeast