BOSTON — A massive blizzard is heading for Boston on Monday — and the city still hasn't finished digging out from the last one.

Some sidewalks remain buried under dirty snowbanks weeks after the last storm. Park benches have disappeared under mounds of gray slush. Crosswalks remain impassable. And now the National Weather Service is forecasting a bomb cyclone that could dump over a foot of snow with near-whiteout conditions and wind gusts approaching 50 mph.

The city has already declared a parking ban starting Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Here's what we know — and why the city may not be ready.

Snow-covered sidewalks and buried bench in Boston — Images being shared around Boston this week: a crosswalk you can't walk through (left) and a park bench completely buried under snow (right).

The storm: what meteorologists are saying

The National Weather Service's Boston office has issued a blizzard forecast for Monday, February 23.

Sunday night into Monday morning: Snow begins late Sunday, mainly after 11 p.m., with 3 to 7 inches possible overnight. Northeast winds ramp up to 14-21 mph with gusts hitting 41 mph. Patchy fog and freezing fog will reduce visibility further.

Monday daytime — the worst of it: Heavy snow. The NWS is calling for 10 to 14 inches of new accumulation on top of whatever falls overnight. North winds at 21-25 mph with gusts up to 48 mph. Chance of precipitation: 100%. This is textbook bombogenesis — a rapidly intensifying storm system that could produce blizzard conditions across eastern Massachusetts.

Monday night: Snow tapers off by around 1 a.m., but an additional 1 to 3 inches is still possible. Northwest winds 9-17 mph with gusts to 34 mph.

Total potential accumulation: 14 to 24 inches.

Can the city handle it?

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Days — in some cases weeks — after the last winter weather event, park benches remain completely buried. Some sidewalks are still impassable, forcing pedestrians into the street.

City code requires property owners to clear sidewalks within three hours after snow stops falling. But enforcement has been spotty at best — and public property maintained by the city itself is no better.

Narrow Boston sidewalk squeezed between snow banks — Narrowed sidewalks like this one have made it nearly impossible for wheelchair users and those with mobility issues to get around — weeks after the last snowfall.

One Boston resident, who asked not to be named, told Mass Daily News they had little faith in the city's ability to handle what's coming.

"It seems like Wu is more focused on Somalis and migrants than clearing the snow," the resident said. "We've been climbing over these snow piles for weeks. Nobody from the city has touched it."

The Munich trip

While Bostonians were dealing with uncleared sidewalks, Mayor Michelle Wu was 4,000 miles away at the Munich Security Conference — an invitation-only gathering of world leaders to discuss global threats.

Wu was the first American mayor ever invited to the conference. She appeared on a panel alongside Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski to discuss city leadership and diplomacy.

The mayor's office said conference organizers covered travel costs for Wu and two staff members — a notable detail given criticism of her previous taxpayer-funded international trips to Italy and Canada.

Now she's back. Some sidewalks are still buried. And a blizzard is coming.

A pattern of priorities?

This isn't the first time Wu has faced criticism over her travel schedule during city challenges.

Last year, she caught flak for trips to Nova Scotia to pick up a Christmas tree and multiple junkets abroad — all while property taxes climbed and city services strained.

The city has also floated controversial proposals to bill residents for snow removal on private property, shifting more responsibility onto homeowners even as public spaces remain uncleared.

What you need to know

Parking ban in effect starting Sunday at 2:00 p.m. — move your car or face towing
Stock up on essentials before Monday
Avoid travel during the storm — especially Monday morning through evening
Check on elderly neighbors — wind chills will be dangerous
Move your car off snow emergency routes when declared
Expect delays and cancellations Monday and possibly into Tuesday

The storm is expected to move out Monday night, but cleanup could take days — possibly weeks, if the city's current track record is any indication.

Forecasters say bombogenesis will slam Boston with 48mph gusts and zero visibility as some residents still climbing over dirty snow banks from last month