[UPDATED] EASTON STORM CENTER: Safety Tips From the Easton Fire Department

Friday, Jan. 3

6:39 p.m.: Read these 15 ways to combat the deep freeze. And stay warm!

5:30 p.m.: The Easton Fire Department is urging those who are able to do so, to shovel snow away from fire hydrants in case access to them is needed quickly. Also, make sure to clear snow drifts from dryer and furnace vents and clean snow from your tailpipes to prevent carbon monoxide incidents.

12:55 p.m.: A Facebook Message from the Town of Easton: Please be advised that due to the storm Waste Management has now cancelled pickups for today, Friday January 3rd. 

Pickups originally scheduled for today will be collected on Saturday January 4th. Collections originally scheduled for Saturday January 4th will now be collected on Monday January 6th. All collections for the week of January 6th will be delayed by one day. If you have any questions please contact the DPW at (508) 230-0800.

11:30 a.m.: Check out snowfall totals across Massachusetts. Neighboring Taunton got 8.3 inches. 

Thursday, Jan. 2

9:52 p.m.: Here are some Emergency Tips for Handling Extreme Cold

9:09 p.m.: There are blizzard warnings in parts of Massachusetts, but it doesn't look like we'll get one in Bristol County. 

6:34 p.m.: There will be no school in Easton public schools tomorrow, due to the snowstorm. 

4:33 p.m.: A deer was hit by a car on Center Street. There were no injuries.

2:50 p.m.: The Easton Town Offices are closing today at 3 p.m. "Just a reminder to please refrain from parking on the roadways during the storm when possible so that the DPW can plow the roads." Also, remember that there is a winter parking ban in effect. 

1:12 p.m.: Read about Gov. Deval Patrick's press conference on the storm. 

11:11 a.m.: There is a water main break in Dailey Ave, according to the Town of Easton: "Residents should expect service interruption for 4/6 hrs. Repair crews are onsite. Every effort will be made to keep your water shut-off to a minimum. You may experience discolored water when service is restored. It is recommended to run your cold water tap at a slow to moderate rate of flow in your home until the water is clear before using it for any purpose. Do not do laundry in discolored water or your clothes could be damaged. The discoloration does NOT mean that the water is unsafe or harmful. It is simply cloudy or discolored from the disruption of the flow."

Original Story: Get your shovels ready, Easton. You're going to need them.

The first storm of 2014 is underway as the initial flakes began falling after midnight on Thursday. During the day on Thursday there will be some accumulation, though much of the snow will come Thursday night into Friday before the storm ends by Friday afternoon.

Below is what you need to know about this week's significant winter storm. We will be updating this storm center article throughout the storm, so be sure to check back throughout.

Current Forecasts

How much snow is Easton expected to get Thursday and Friday? Here are the projections as of Thursday at 5 a.m.

• National Weather Service: 10-14 inches
• Channel 4, WBZ: 10-14+ inches
• Channel 5, WCVB: 9-15 inches
• Channel 7, WHDH: 8-12 inches
• Channel 25, FOX: 10-14 inches

Easton Emergency Contacts

• In case of an emergency, dial 911
  
• Easton Police Department - 508-230-3322
• Easton Fire Department - 508-230-3311
• National Grid power outages: 800-465-1212
• National Grid gas emergencies: 800-233-5325
• NStar: Report a power outage website
• Comcast: 1-800-COMCAST (1-800-266-2278)
• Verizon: 1-800-VERIZON (1-800-837-4966)
• RCN: 1-866-TECH-RCN (1-866-832-4726) 

Massachusetts State Police are asking drivers to stay home if possible due to slick road conditions.

"Roads are just going to get more snow covered," State Police tweeted. "If you don't have to go out, stay in today. Let the plows do their job."

Be sure to follow Easton Patch on Twitter and Facebook throughout the storm as we'll have ongoing updates there as well.

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