PROVIDENCE – As Thursday’s storm nears Rhode Island, state officials are urging caution.
The storm is expected to begin in the area at about 1 a.m. Thursday and continue until 1 a.m. Friday. The National Weather Service said Wednesday that 10-14 inches of snow are expected for most of Rhode Island. Sixteen inches may fall in some areas.
The NWS also has issued a blizzard warning for Block Island, Fall River, New Bedford and Newport, with winds that may reach 60 to 70 miles per hour.
The R.I. State Police are urging drivers to stay off the roads during the storm.
“Thursday’s storm is predicted to bring snowfall totals of up to 14 inches with high winds, which will likely create white-out conditions and extremely difficult driving. Dangerously low temperatures and wind chills are also a major concern following the storm,” stated R.I. State Police Colonel Ann C. Assumpico.
National Grid Rhode Island, the state’s largest utility, is preparing for an event it estimates could leave 9 percent of its customers – about 50,000 customers – without power.
In preparation of the impending weather, the utility has secured 101 additional line crews to assist its own 44 line crews, according to spokesman Ted Kresse. National Grid also has enlisted the help of an additional 55 forestry crews to help with downed and damaged trees. The utility, which was heavily criticized for being unprepared following an Oct. 29-30 storm that left tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders without power for days, expects the additional crews to help with its response time.
“In October, the severity of that storm crept up on everyone, so we didn’t have time for those additional crews,” Kresse said.
Like the state, however, National Grid is warning Rhode Islanders about the low temperatures forecast in the days following the storm. Kresse said it’s important for all customers who lose power to contact National Grid, and to plan ahead.
“What’s different about this storm is that there’s a very severe cold aspect to it that’s coming in afterward,” Kresse said. “Folks should really look out in advance and know where the closest warming centers are in their communities in the event we have extended outages.”
The state is also urging Rhode Islanders to prepare for possible power outages, especially considering the subzero temperatures forecast for Friday and Saturday.
“Make a plan now,” said Peter Gaynor, director of the R.I. Emergency Management Agency. “No electricity could mean no heat, and those temperatures could be dangerous.”
Gaynor heads the state’s efforts to prepare, mitigate and respond to major weather events. The agency will update the Rhode Island Alliance for Business Resilience website https://www.riabr.org/, a newly formed public-private partnership focused on better informing the business community about the state’s efforts before, during and after emergency events.
Parking bans, closures, postponements:
- Gov. Gina M. Raimondo has closed Rhode Island state offices for all nonessential personnel Thursday
- The MBTA’s Providence/Stoughton line will be running on a reduced schedule. A reduced schedule indicates a moderate change in schedule with a reduction in train service. Express trains may also make additional stops on a reduced schedule
- A parking ban in Providence will take effect at 10 a.m. on Thursday until further notice. Providence schools have been cancelled for both Thursday and Friday
- Warwick has also issued a parking ban which takes effect starting at 12 a.m. Thursday. Warwick Public School Thursday classes and activities have also been cancelled
- Pawtucket has a parking ban that begins at 10 p.m. Wednesday
- A parking ban takes effect in Central Falls at 12 a.m. Thursday
- Cranston has issued a parking ban that will go into effect at 12 a.m. Thursday and will remain in effect until 7 a.m. Friday
- The R.I. General Assembly had canceled its Thursday session which has been rescheduled for Tuesday. The Senate Finance Committee hearing on legislation for public funding of a Pawtucket Red Sox stadium will take place during the Tuesday meeting
- The Rhode Island Small Business Economic Summit has been rescheduled from Jan. 5 to January 16 at 7:30 a.m.
- The Innovate Newport groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for Friday has been postponed, but a new date has yet to be determined
- The Roger Williams Park Zoo is closed Thursday
- University of Rhode Island has canceled all classes Thursday
- Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island will not be delivering Thursday, but has delivered double meals Wednesday
- Some cancelations of arrivals and departures at T.F. Green have been announced as of Wednesday evening. The R.I. Airport Corporation has issued a weather advisory for Thursday and recommends passengers check with their airline carriers for cancelations and delays
- The R.I. Public Transit Authority will continue extended hours of operation at the Kennedy Plaza Intermodal Transportation Center building this week in order to give passengers a place to stay warm while waiting for their buses. The building, which normally closes at 7 p.m., will remain open until 10 p.m. until further notice.
The R.I. State Police remind residents what numbers to call due to storm complications:
For emergencies call 9-1-1
For non-emergency information call 2-1-1
To report a National Grid Power Outage, call (800) 465-1212. For people with life-sustaining equipment in the home call (800) 642-4272.
To report a National Grid Gas Emergency: Call 9-1-1 or (800) 640-1515
Eli Sherman is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Sherman@PBN.com. Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor.
