(Updated, 1:40 p.m.)
PROVIDENCE – Travel will be very difficult and is highly discouraged today, the National Weather Service said early Wednesday.
Rhode Island's Market Has Changed. Developers, Builders, Investors and Sellers Must Change With It.
By Emilio DiSpirito IV License Partner | Engel & Völkers Oceanside Leader | The DiSpirito…
Learn More
Snow accumulations are seen at 19 to 24 inches, the service said. Bands of moderate to heavy snow with snowfall rates of 1 to 3 inches per hour are expected, with the heaviest band along the Interstate 95 corridor.
“The snow fall rate has dropped off a little bit this morning, but now it’s really picking up again,” said Joe Baker, deputy administrator of the highway and maintenance division for the R.I. Department of Transportation.
“Conditions aren’t really improving yet but hopefully [by] this afternoon,” he added.
More than 400 snow plow trucks began work at 9 p.m. Tuesday and continue to keep the roads clear. Once the snow stops, it will take the plows 4 to 6 hours to finish the cleanup, Baker said.
“A lot of people are staying off the roads, we really appreciate that,” he said.
The roads are currently are passable, Baker said, but “if [you] can stay home, that’s option No. 1,”
“It’s a heavy, wet snow which is tougher on the equipment. The good news is that once it’s on the ground, it doesn’t blow around as much [unlike] the last storm,” he said.
The heavy, wet snow and gusty winds will cause numerous power outages, downed tree limbs and power lines, the National Weather Service said.
National Grid currently has 8,219 outages statewide.
Providence Place will be closed Wednesday but Macy’s said it will open at 10 a.m., according to the website. Warwick Mall will also be closed.
The Emerald Square Mall in North Attleboro is scheduled to open at 12:00 p.m., department stores will vary, and the Garden City Center in Cranston is slated to open at 2 p.m.
Shoppers should check the malls’ websites for updates before leaving home.
The DOT’s Traffic Management Center currently has two traffic advisories posted for a vehicle accident at Exit 20 of I-95 (10:00 a.m.) and emergency road work for Route 15 (7:38 a.m.).
RIPTA bus route 87 will not operate until the snow is cleared; routes 54 and 75 will not service the Lincoln Mall, and routes 6, 8, 58, 63 will take detours. For a list of the detour routes, click here. For a list of all bus cancellations or delays, click here.
The winter storm warning, issued by the National Weather Service for northern Connecticut, western Massachusetts, all of Rhode Island, and other areas, will be in effect until 8 p.m.
The Providence Boat Show will begin Thursday as planned. Organizers sent out an e-mail to the exhibitors early Tuesday, asking them to set up before the storm. About 95 percent are ready, a spokeswoman confirmed. For hours and other information, click here.
