Boston Clears Snow for St. Patrick's Day Parade, Other Towns Postpone

Lingering snow from recent blizzards complicates celebrations in Massachusetts

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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City crews in Boston have been working to clear snow and debris to prepare for the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade this Sunday, while other towns like Scituate and Abington have been forced to postpone their festivities due to the lingering effects of the recent winter storms.

Why it matters

The St. Patrick's Day Parade is a major annual event in Boston, drawing up to a million spectators. Ensuring the parade can go on as scheduled is important for the city's businesses and cultural celebrations. However, the heavy snowfall has also impacted other Massachusetts towns known for their St. Patrick's Day traditions, requiring them to reschedule their parades.

The details

City crews in South Boston have been clearing snow and debris to prepare the reversed parade route from Andrew Square to A Street and West Broadway for Sunday's St. Patrick's Day Parade. Meanwhile, the coastal town of Scituate, known as the most Irish town in America, as well as Abington, have both had to postpone their parades due to the lingering effects of the recent blizzards. Scituate's parade is now scheduled for April 12, as the large snowbanks on either side of the parade route made it difficult to set up. Abington has also rescheduled their parade for April 12.

  • City crews in Boston have been clearing snow and debris since Monday night to prepare for the St. Patrick's Day Parade this Sunday, March 17, 2026.
  • Scituate has rescheduled its St. Patrick's Day Parade to April 12, 2026 at 1 p.m.
  • Abington has also rescheduled its St. Patrick's Day Parade to April 12, 2026.

The players

Boston

The city hosting the major annual St. Patrick's Day Parade that draws up to a million spectators.

Scituate

A coastal Massachusetts town known as the most Irish town in America, which has had to postpone its St. Patrick's Day Parade due to lingering snow.

Abington

A Massachusetts town that has also had to postpone its St. Patrick's Day Parade due to the recent winter storms.

Jim Boudreau

The town administrator of Scituate.

Ed Kelley

The chair of the Scituate St. Patrick's Day Parade.

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What they’re saying

“It was a tough couple weeks. We had a lot of snow, probably in the neighborhood of 50 inches between those two storms. Huge snow piles, huge snow mounds. Now the issue is as it's melting warm days, wet roads, cold nights, it is perfect pothole conditions.”

— Jim Boudreau, Town Administrator (cbsnews.com)

“The area we use for parade setup, big snowbanks on either side. We need both sides of the road where we set up because we have so many entrants in the parade. Even a little snowbank would make it difficult for us.”

— Ed Kelley, Parade Chair (cbsnews.com)

“We're hoping by then everything is gone, and it's all cleaned up and it'll be another 65-70-degree day and everybody will have a blast.”

— Ed Kelley, Parade Chair (cbsnews.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This story highlights the challenges that lingering winter weather can pose for long-standing community traditions and celebrations, requiring flexibility and resilience from local organizers and officials. It also underscores the importance of snow and debris removal efforts to ensure public safety and accessibility for major events.