Five Things: Closings, Cancellations and, Oh Yea, a Blizzard

1. Closures and Cancellations: The Lexington Public Schools, town offices, Cary Memorial Library, Senior Center are all closed today. The League of Women Voters has cancelled its First Friday Forum on the state budget, which was scheduled for this morning. Meanwhile, the Historical Society's Rum and Revolution Cronin Lecture, originally scheduled for this evening, has been postponed to March 1.

2. Trash Pickup: There will be curbside collection today; however, the town is requesting all residents take in their empty barrels by 1 p.m.

3. Gov. Patrick Weighs In: In advance of the storm, Gov. Deval Patrick held a press conference Thursday evening advising all "non-emergency" government employees to stay home from work today because of the storm, and asked private employers to do the same. Further, the governo asked that all cars be off the road beginning at noon on Friday to clear the way for road crews.

4. Lexington Snowstorm Info Center: Looking for the latest updates and to help keep your neighbors informed? Check out our Info Center, which will be updated throughout the day as new information becomes available.

5. About That Blizzard: The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning, which is in effect from 6 a.m. today through 1 p.m. tomorrow. According to the warning, snow will begin to accumulate today, with the heaviest snowfall tonight and into tomorrow. Total accumulations could be in the 18- to 24-inch ranges and wind gusts could get as high as 65 mph, the warning says.