Winter has awoken, and she’s making up for lost time.

The biggest snowstorm Newton has seen in years barreled into the region late Sunday morning and battered Newton for hours before letting up Monday morning and coming back for a second round Monday afternoon and evening. The storm dropped about 16 inches of powder on Newton, according to the National Weather Service, while plow crews cleared roads throughout the 13 villages.

That wasn’t easy, given the rapid pace of the snowfall on Sunday evening. And now, the cleanup continues.

“The work these plow operators do is much harder than it looks,” Mayor Marc Laredo wrote in a Monday morning storm update to the community following a Sunday night ride-along with the DPW. “It was cold and dark, the snow was falling, it was bumpy, and although I was riding shotgun, this work is usually done alone.”

Roads were treacherous throughout Monday morning, and by Monday night, there were still some streets and sidewalks that needed to be cleared, many for a second time.

And aside from all the snowy chaos, there was sledding in Auburndale. And there were snowshoers at Cold Spring Park. There were kids, adults, dogs, all finding joy in a storm that brought Newton to a grinding halt. In a month of headlines marked by turmoil, chaos and anxiety, that pause may have been just what many needed.

Keep in mind

Schools: Schools were closed on Monday and remain closed on Tuesday, but all school activities planned for after 5 p.m. Tuesday are still on, Superintendent Anna Nolin posted on the NPS Facebook page.

Parking: There is an emergency snow parking ban in effect until further notice, the Newton Police Department posted on their page.

Trash: Garbage and recycling pickup is delayed by one day this week, starting Tuesday, according to the mayor’s office, and the Resource Recovery Center at Rumford Avenue is closed on Tuesday.

Sidewalks: Property owners must have the sidewalks in front of their properties clear by 11 a.m. Wednesday or be subject to a $50 fine each day. And don’t think the weather’s going to melt it for you. The afternoon highs are going to be in the teens all week.

Reports: Snow-related complaints and sidewalk reports should go through the city’s 311 system. Do not call 911 to complain about a snowy sidewalk.

Open: City buildings—including City Hall, the Newton Free Library and the Cooper Center—are back open on Tuesday.

Photos

Newton City Hall on Jan. 26, 2026, as a massive snowstorm tapered down. Photo by Bryan McGonigle

The Newton Centre Plaza, partially buried in snow, during a snowstorm on Jan. 26, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle

A sledder speeds down a hill in Auburndale during a lull in a snowstorm on Jan. 26, 2026. Photo by Marian Prokop

Wes enjoys a walk in the snow. Photo by Marian Prokop

A dad takes his kids for a walk through the snow in Newton Centre after a snowstorm on Jan. 26, 2026. Photo by Howard Sholkin

A snowstorm on Jan. 25 and 26 dropped more than a foot of snow on Newton. Photo by Howard Sholkin

Kids sled down a hill near Mason-Rice Elementary School on Jan. 26, 2026. Photo by Howard Sholkin