R.I. digs out

WITH VEHICULAR TRAFFIC BANNED, Thayer Street in Providence turned into a pedestrian mall on Tuesday. Some shops remained open in the city despite the blizzard known as
WITH VEHICULAR TRAFFIC BANNED, Thayer Street in Providence turned into a pedestrian mall on Tuesday. Some shops remained open in the city despite the blizzard known as "Juno." / PBN FILE PHOTO/ELI SHERMAN

(Updated 11:49 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5:15 p.m.)
PROVIDENCE – Public transportation is resuming, flights are taking off from T.F. Green Airport and businesses are opening today, after a blizzard pounded the Ocean State with 20 inches of snow, effectively shutting it down.
The snowfall, which started Monday and continued throughout most of the day Tuesday, prompted the governor to institute a travel ban, which was lifted at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Snowfall amounts varied in the communities, with Burrillville receiving nearly 30 inches from the storm known as “Juno,” and Richmond, 11 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
The R.I. Public Transit Authority said it reinstated service as of 8 a.m., but heavily accumulated snow in some areas and secondary roads may make it difficult for the vehicles to travel safely. Passengers are asked to check ripta.com throughout the day for updates regarding routes. The authority also said that riders should expect some delays on all routes due to post-storm conditions, and are advised to use extreme caution at bus stops.
T.F. Green Airport is resuming flights. While online information still shows numerous cancellations, a Delta Airlines flight to Atlanta left at 6:40 a.m.; the next departure was scheduled for Detroit on the same airline at 7 a.m. Arrivals are faring better, with only two cancellations being shown for the day, and one delay.
Peter Pan Bus Lines also restored service on Wednesday in Providence; service to and from Cape Cod remains canceled, however.
Amtrak was reporting cancellations, but some trips were reinstated.
Although power outages affected nearly 1,000 National Grid customers early Tuesday, fewer than five outages were reported Wednesday in Providence and Narragansett, according to the utility’s website. Service was expected to be restored by noon, it said.
Providence Mayor Jorge O. Elorza said City Hall and all city offices are open today during normal business hours.
Elorza said all residents and businesses in the city should shovel sidewalks by the end of the day. Property owners are required to remove snow and ice from sidewalks, catch basins, fire hydrants and pedestrian ramps adjacent to their property.
Residents are asked to take care not to shovel snow onto roadways after streets have been plowed. For fire safety purposes, residents are urged not to rebury fire hydrants after they have been dug out, he said. The city also lifted its parking ban at 6 a.m.

The General Assembly canceled all Wednesday activities.

The Providence Athenaeum will open Wednesday at 1 p.m. and close at 5 p.m., due to staffing shortages.

Full Channel Labs President Levi C. Maaia released a storm update Wednesday, saying that technicians worked late into Tuesday evening to restore communications service to approximately 1,000 customers in Barrington, Bristol and Warren. Equipment had been damaged by the storm.
“During the storm, the heavy winds at our Network Operations Center actually prevented a large amount of snow from accumulating on our dish antennas, a welcome relief to our engineers who normally have to keep the surfaces clean with brooms when the snowfall is wet and dense,” Maaia said.

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The National Weather Service said that after the “historic blizzard,” there could be some snow flurries today, but the midweek will represent a brief break before more snow is expected to hit late Thursday into Friday.
Stefan Pryor, the nominee for Rhode Island Commerce Secretary, said in a statement Wednesday that he remains in touch with business group leaders and is going door-to-door in Providence to visit with businesses.
“Right now, the Raimondo Administration and our partners are in active cleanup mode in the state so that means we are focused on making sure Rhode Island can return to business as usual,” he said. “We’ll have more communication with the Chambers of Commerce and other key organizations today as well as in the coming days and weeks, including discussions of any effects of the storm or any issues that require addressing.”

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