RI Weather: Freezing Temperatures On The Way

RHODE ISLAND — Following a messy mixture of rain, sleet and snow on Tuesday, freezing temperatures gripped the state, leading to more school delays around the state on Wednesday.

Ongoing freezing rain throughout the evening is the likely culprit for the delays, leading to the potential for more slick roadways on Wednesday morning. The following schools had delays:

• Coventry Public Schools: two-hour delay, no morning preschool
• Exeter-West Greenwich Public Schools: one-hour delay, no morning preschool
• Foster-Glocester Public Schools: 90-minute delay, no morning preschool
• Woonsocket Public Schools: two-hour delay, no morning preschool
• Action Based Enterprises: Rashaad on time, Adult Day Program Normal Time
• Hillside Alternative Program: two-hour delay, Adult Day Program Normal Time
• Father John V Doyle School: two-hour delay, before-school care stats at 9 a.m.
• Good Shepherd Regional School: two-hour delay
• Greater Woonsocket Catholic Regional School: two-hour delay, no half-day preschool
• Monsignor Gadoury Primary School: two-hour delay, no half-day preschool
• Beacon Charter High School: two-hour delay
• Founders Academy: two-hour delay
• RISE Prep Mayoral Academy: two-hour delay
• The Green School: one-hour delay

Mount St. Charles Academy in Woonsocket was the only school in Rhode Island to cancel classes on Wednesday. North Smithfield had a parking ban in place in the morning, but it was later lifted.

Looking ahead to the rest of the week, skies will mostly be clear, though there is a chance of snow showers later in the day on Wednesday. The main issue will be arctic temperatures, with overnight lows falling to the teens and daytime temperatures topping out in the 20s. Thursday will likely be the worst offender, with the high only expected to reach 23 degrees, with wind chills as low as negative four degrees.

By the weekend, conditions are expected to improve slightly, with temperatures rising to a high of 34 on Saturday and 41 on Sunday.

Here's a look at the rest of this week's forecast from the National Weather Service.

Wednesday
A chance of snow showers, mainly after 4 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 36. West wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 13. Wind chill values as low as -3. Breezy, with a west wind 14 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph.

Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 23. Wind chill values as low as -4. Northwest wind 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

Thursday Night
Clear, with a low around 14. Northwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

Friday
Sunny, with a high near 29. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph.

Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 18. North wind 3 to 5 mph.

Saturday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 34. Light and variable wind.

Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. Calm wind.

Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 41. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 29. West wind 3 to 5 mph.