Our daily column, 5 Things You Need to Know Today, will help you to get your day started and offer you some fodder for water cooler conversation.

1. Framingham Public Schools, Marian High, Keefe Tech, McAuliffe Charter, Framingham State University and Mass Bay Community College are all closed today. Basically, all schools are closed today.

For further updates on closures and cancellations, including many school activities, visit and bookmark Framingham Patch's Blizzard of 2013 Storm Central article.

For even further up-to-the-minute storm updates become a fan of Framingham Patch on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and sign up for our breaking news alert.

2. Framingham will declare a snow emergency at 6 p.m. today. Framingham Town Manager Bob Halpin says it will stay in effect through Monday, likely.

3. Framingham town offices - except for emergency crews - will close at 11:30 a.m. today, says Town Manager Bob Halpin.

Trash pick up will take place today, starting at 7 a.m. sharp. The Recycling Center will be closed today, as well as Saturday & Sunday.

4. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, headquartered in Framingham will be activated today at noon. The Governor is expected to be there at that time and make a statement on the Blizzard.

The National Guard has training this weekend, said MEMA; so 5,000 soliders will be available during the storm.

5. On Thursday night, Gov. Deval Patrick asked that all vehicles be off roads by noon. He did not declare a state of emergency in Massachusetts.

The MBTA also announced Thursday night that they would stop all operations, including the Framingham/Worcester Commuter line at 3:30 p.m. today.