Boston clears snow for St. Patrick's Day Parade, Scituate and Abington postpone festivities

City crews were at work in South Boston Monday night, clearing the way for Sunday's St. Patrick's Day Parade. Up to a million people celebrate in the neighborhood each year, and after the state was slammed by snow in recent weeks, city leaders want to maximize accessibility along the reversed route from Andrew Square to A Street and West Broadway. 

But Boston isn't the only place that does it big for St. Patrick's Day, after all, Scituate is proudly known as the most Irish town in America. That coastal community, along with Abington, are among those that have been forced to postpone their festivities. 

"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," said Scituate town administrator Jim Boudreau. 

Scituate crews have been way too busy clearing branches and debris to even think about parade prep. Instead, they'll step off the afternoon of April 12. 

"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," said Scituate parade chair Ed Kelley. 

They've done this before - back when our region was buried by snow in 2015. The change in plans shaped up to be a huge hit. And they're hopeful for a repeat next month. 

"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," Kelley added. 

Southie's parade starts this Sunday at 11:30. Scituate's is now scheduled for April 12 at 1 o'clock. Abington's parade is also scheduled for April 12.