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Today’s storm is the first of three systems that could bring slippery roads and a few inches of snow to Massachusetts within the next week. Meteorologist Danielle Noyes has more here on the timing and the switch from rain to snow this afternoon. The National Weather Service also has a snowfall prediction map here.
Now, to the news:
Wake up, campers: There may still be snow on the ground and in the forecast, but spring reservations for spots at Massachusetts’ 25 state campgrounds open at 9 a.m. today. Pat Lee, the director of camping services for state’s Department of Conservation Recreation, told WBUR’s John Bender that he has visited and seen “basically every” campsite they manage. “There’s no one campsite or campground where things are the same,” Lee said. So which one should you pick? Here’s Lee’s mini-guide:
- The best for beginners: Lee recommends DCR’s “structured” campsites with yurts and cabins. “ You just need to show up with a sleeping bag, pillows and then what you need for the weekend,” Lee said. Here’s a list of yurt and cabin sites.
- The hot spots: Salisbury Beach, Sagamore’s Scusset Beach and Westport’s Horseneck Beach are DCR’s most popular camping spots, according to Lee. That’s primarily due to their proximity to the ocean. “Through the campground, you can get kind of right onto the beach,” he said.
- The hidden gem: DCR recently reopened Falmouth’s Washburn Island for camping. The 10 island campsites are away from the crowds, right on the waters of the Waquoit Bay Reserve. The only catch is you need your own (or a friend’s) boat to get there. “A little bit off the beaten path,” Lee said.
- Know before you go: The 2026 camping season starts in April or May (depending on the site) and runs through October. You can only reserve spots up to four months in advance, on a rolling basis (i.e., up until June 18 as of today). Per-night rates start at $17 for Massachusetts residents and $54 for out-of-staters for inland campsites, while coastal campsites (like Scusset and Horseneck) are $22 a night for Massachusetts residents and $70 per night for out-of-staters.
From camps to courts: A coalition of conservation and history groups is suing the Trump administration in federal court in Massachusetts over what they say is the censoring of America’s national parks. As WBUR’s Amy Sokolow reports, the lawsuit comes after President Trump’s executive order nearly a year ago calling for the removal of materials at parks and museums that “inappropriately disparage Americans, past or living.” That led to the scrubbing of sites across the country, including at least two in New England. “ It’s really a whitewashing of the history of America,” said Kristen Sykes, the Northeast director for the National Parks Conservation Association, which is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
- In Massachusetts: Staffers at Lowell National Historical Park, which focuses on the mill city’s role in the Industrial Revolution, were reportedly ordered to stop showing two films on labor history. According to The New York Times, the films depicted how women and immigrants “once toiled in the city’s textile mills.” Sykes said the films also touched on child labor, the treatment of workers and industrial pollution’s impact on the Merrimack River.
- In Maine: The National Park Service removed signs about climate change and Native American history from a half-dozen popular spots in Acadia National Park, including the summit of Cadillac Mountain. Maine Public has some examples of the signs here, which mentioned things like climate change’s impact on invasive species and Cadillac’s significance to the Wabanaki people.
- What is the Trump administration saying? The National Parks Service didn’t respond Tuesday to a request for comment about the changes in Lowell. A spokesperson for the Interior Department told Maine Public in September that the signs removed from Acadia were “brainless fear-mongering rhetoric used to steal taxpayer dollars.” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told NPR on Tuesday that the lawsuit is “based on inaccurate and mischaracterized information” and that its changes “are not yet finalized.”
In Lawrence: Central Bridge, one of the three main bridges over the Merrimack River in Lawrence, is closed until further notice after a major fire broke out underneath it yesterday. Inspectors say the fire’s heat cracked a concrete span on the bridge and they are examining whether the damage affected its structural integrity.
P.S.— Tonight at CitySpace, WBUR’s Amory Sivertson will talk to singer David Archuleta about his coming out story, as detailed in his new book, “Devout.” Plus, the “American Idol” alum will perform a song from his upcoming EP and sign copies of the book after the event. You can get tickets (or reserve a book bundle) here.
