Updated RI Weather Forecast: Preliminary Snow Estimates Thursday Night Into Friday

NEWPORT, RI — The National Weather Service on Thursday issued a Winter Storm Watch for Rhode Island. Forecasters are now predicting 4 to 7 inches of snow, which will start after midnight and become heaviest around daybreak Friday and into the morning.

Wait, it's practically spring, isn't it? The St. Patrick's Day Parade steps off in Newport on Saturday, and Daylight Saving Time is Sunday.

All true, but fifty-degrees will be a distant memory this weekend. Temperatures were on the rise Wednesday but will fall through the weekend, all the way to close to single digits by Saturday. And Thursday night into Friday, there's that chance of snow - up to 4-7 inches, depending on where you live.

According to the National Weather Service in Taunton, the most likely scenario calls for 6 inches at the coast and 5 inches in Providence and the rest of Rhode Island. That's the most-likely forecast. Best case would be 3 inches at the coast and 2 inches for the rest of the state.

Worst case scenario: 8 inches in Newport and 7 inches everyplace else.

The National Weather Service also says a wind advisory is in effect for Thursday with winds clocking 20 to 30 mph this afternoon but gusting 40 to 50 mph.

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Friday and Saturday night will be downright cold. Temperatures will dip into the teens, and highs for Saturday and Sunday will be in the 20s.

Mike Carraggi contributed to this report.