Beverly Residents Reminded Of City Sidewalk Snow Safety Order

BEVERLY, MA — Beverly officials are reminding residents who have a sidewalk in front of their business or house that keeping that sidewalk clear during the winter is their responsibility.

Coming off nearly 2 feet of snow last weekend, and with a mix of rain, sleet and snow Friday expected to be followed by a weekend cold snap, sidewalk maintenance is especially important this week.

"Don't forget to shovel your sidewalks before it freezes," city officials alerted. "Shoveling is the neighborly thing to do ... and it's the law.

"If you don't, you may be fined."

Under the city ordinance, residents and business owners must clear sidewalks and curb cuts in front of their property within six hours of the end of a storm or 1 p.m. the next day.

Residents are also required to keep those areas free of ice with sand and salt.

Exemptions apply to the elderly and those physically unable to shovel.

The National Weather Service forecast for the Boston area Friday calls for freezing rain before 9 a.m., then freezing rain and sleet between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., then sleet after 10 a.m.

The temperature will fall to around 21 degrees at 4 p.m. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent with sleet accumulation of up to one inch.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)