Community Corner

Snowstorm Will Make Travel Treacherous on Wednesday

The storm will start overnight and make the Wednesday morning commute difficult.


The National Weather Service has already issued a winter storm warning as this week's second snowstorm moves into the area

NWS predicts about 4 to 8 inches for the area while local news stations like Channel 10 are forecasting 3 to 6 for most of Rhode Island. The winter storm warning starts at midnight Tuesday into Wednesday, lasting into 6 p.m. Wednesday. 

Snow will develop after midnight, mainly between 3 to 5 a.m. Several inches of snow will have developed by the time of Wednesday's morning commute before switching over to a sleet and rain mixture as temperatures warm up. Areas north of Providence may see less of the rain component than coastal areas. 

Travel during the storm, particularly during the morning commute, may be treacherous. 

Snow removal will also be difficult due to the layer of ice that will coat this snowfall along with the consistency of the snow itself. 

“No fluff factor with this one either as snow to liquid ratios run close to 10:1. It's good for snowballs and snowmen, not so good for shoveling,” said Channel 7’s Chris Lambert

National Grid is preparing its crews for the impending storm, as the predicted flooding and high winds along coastal areas may cause interruptions for natural gas and/or electric service. The forecasted heavier snow may also cause tree damage, upping the chances for power outages. 

Customers can receive text message alerts and updates by texting the word STORM to NGRID (64743) or follow the storm on their mobile devices by using the National Grid mobile app. The company provides real time outage information on its Outage Central web site at nationalgridus.com/OutageCentral.


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