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Walsh and MBTA are already talking about winter — and it’s still September

By Steve Annear Globe Staff,September 18, 2017, 3:34 p.m.
In a tweet early Monday morning, the city’s Public Works Department unveiled — quite literally — its massive salt pile.Boston Public Works via Twitter

It’s arguably a worse offense than jamming pumpkin-spiced products of all kinds onto store shelves well before the first leaf falls from a tree: Talking about the scourge of winter in mid-September, when people are still donning T-shirts.

But that’s what city and state officials were doing Monday, one day after the region enjoyed a summer-like afternoon during an otherwise pleasant weekend.

As weather experts discussed the paths of Hurricanes Jose and Maria, Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s administration and the MBTA were touting their winter-preparedness efforts.

In a tweet, the city’s Public Works Department unveiled — quite literally — its massive salt pile used to treat roadways during slippery and stormy winter conditions. They also showed off an army of trucks used to remove snow.

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“Tarp off of salt pile [check]. Plows lined up for inspection [check]. Spreaders into the shop [check],” the department wrote on social media. “Winter is coming and snow prep has officially begun at PWD.”

In a tweet, Walsh applauded the department’s eagerness to be ready for whatever may come this winter, saying “it’s never too early” to start thinking about the snowy season.

But some on Twitter seemed to strongly disagree with that sentiment — especially with rain and wind from Hurricane Jose and a weekend of sunny weather (with a high of 80 degrees, we might add) in the forecast.

“Please no! Not yet!” one person wrote in reply to the photographs of plows and salt shared by public works crews.

Another wrote, “It’s going to rain not snow lol ... don’t rush it please.”

The MBTA was also discussing its winter readiness. Jacquelyn Goddard, a spokeswoman from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, tweeted a picture of a similar check list as part of a presentation by transit officials. It showed the T’s progress on securing winter contracts and purchasing shovels, salt, and sand.

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“T preps for winter,” she wrote. “Hundreds [of] trees removed on MBTA Green Line corridor, equipment acquired for emergency power generation, switch covers.”

Steve Annear can be reached at steve.annear@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @steveannear.

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