Weather
Parking Bans, Services Closed In RI Ahead Of Snowstorm
Gone are traditional snow days: many public schools are turning to full distance learning despite the snowy forecast.
A significant snowstorm is set to hit Southern New England in the coming hours, dropping up to a foot or more of snow on Rhode Island stating Wednesday night and continuing into Thursday. Across the state, cities and towns have declared parking bans and school districts are planning for distance learning.
Snow is expected to arrive in the state around 7 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Road conditions will likely deteriorate quickly as one to two inches of snow fall per hour at the storm's height.
Providence, along with Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts, and Hartford Connecticut, has the potential to see more than a foot of snow in 24 hours or less. That's not a common occurrence in this region, and has only happened three times before. The last time Rhode Island saw that much snow in just one day was almost a decade ago, when 12.2 inches fell on Jan. 12, 2011.
Find out what's happening in Newportfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The most snow to even fall in Rhode Island in under 24 hours: just over 18 inches, all the way back in 1961.
Parking bans
- Barrington: 4 p.m. Wednesday until 12 p.m. Friday
- Bristol: 9 p.m. Wednesday until further notice
- Central Falls: 5 p.m. Wednesday until further notice
- Charlestown: 7 p.m. Wednesday until noon Thursday
- Coventry: 6 p.m. Wednesday until noon Friday
- Cranston: 5 p.m. Wednesday until further notice
- Cumberland: 7 p.m. Wednesday until 7 p.m. Thursday
- East Greenwich: 9 p.m. Wednesday until 6 p.m. Thursday
- East Providence: 5 p.m. Wednesday until further notice
- Foster: 6 p.m. Wednesday to 8 a.m. Thursday
- Hopkinton: 7 p.m. Wednesday to 7 p.m. Thursday
- Jamestown: 6 p.m. Wednesday to 6 p.m. Thursday
- Johnston: 7 p.m. Wednesday to 7 p.m. Thursday
- Lincoln: 4 p.m. Wednesday through 11 p.m. Thursday; trash pickup delayed one day
- Middletown: 7 p.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m. Friday
- Narragansett: 4 p.m. Wednesday to 4 p.m. Thursday
- Newport: 9 p.m. Wednesday to 5 p.m. Thursday
- North Kingstown: 8 p.m. Wednesday until further notice
- North Providence: 5 p.m. Wednesday until further notice
- North Smithfield: 6 p.m. Wednesday until further notice; trash pickup delayed one day
- Pawtucket: Parking ban until further notice
- Portsmouth: 7 p.m. Wednesday to 9 p.m. Thursday
- Richmond: 7 p.m. Wednesday until further notice
- Scituate: 7 p.m. Wednesday until further notice
- Smithfield: Noon Wednesday to noon Thursday
- South Kingstown: 7 p.m. Wednesday through Thursday
- Tiverton: 9 p.m. Wednesday until further notice
- Warren: 7 p.m. Wednesday to 5 p.m. Thursday
- Warwick: 5 p.m. Wednesday to noon Thursday
- West Greenwich: 5 p.m. Wednesday until further notice
- West Warwick: 6 p.m. Wednesday until further notice
- Woonsocket: 5 p.m. Wednesday until further notice
Along with parking bans and closed schools, some municipal and state services will be closed Thursday. A running list is below. Patch will update as more information becomes available.
Find out what's happening in Newportfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Rhode Island DMV: All branches offices closed and road tests scheduled for Thursday are canceled. Staff will contact applicants to reschedule.
- Rhode Island Resource Recovery: All operations closed Thursday.
- Coronavirus testing: All state-run test sites, both indoor and outdoor, will close Thursday. Tests do not need to be rescheduled online.
- RIPTA: Expect delays/detours. Park 'n Ride routes 8X, 9X, 10X, 12x, 59X, 61X, 65X and 95X will not run Thursday.
ATTENTION PASSENGERS With severe winter weather expected tomorrow, Dec. 17th, RIPTA will not be running Park N’ Ride...
Posted by Rhode Island Public Transit Authority on Wednesday, December 16, 2020
With the approaching storm, all 4 of our climate sites (Providence, Boston, Worcester, Hartford) will have the potential to break 12+ inches of snow in 24 hours. Per climate date, this has only occurred 3 times before! The last time was January 12th, 2011. pic.twitter.com/0ZBkIst72m
— NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) December 16, 2020
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