RI Weather: Year's First Snow To Impact Commute

The first snow of 2019 is on the radar. There isn't expected to be major accumulation, but it could impact your Thursday morning commute. The National Weather Service has called for a statewide hazardous weather outlook.

The NWS said to expect "a period of light snow" that may result in just an inch or snow on the ground. Southern Rhode Island could avoid the snow altogether, but if you commute into Boston, expect slightly worse conditions. While you shouldn't count on school to be canceled, the NWS said slick roads and reduced visibility will be a problem for those on the road.

"Snow will be ongoing, either changing to rain or tapering off towards midday," the NWS said.

The snow is expected to start overnight - about 2 a.m. for Central and Eastern Massachusetts. It'll taper out some time around 7-8 a.m. The snow will be mixed in with some rain as temperatures straddle freezing. You can see what to expect below.

In addition to the mixed precipitation Thursday, we could get rain Saturday and snow Tuesday. Highs will all be in the 30s and 40s over the next week.

Here is a look at the forecast via the NWS:

Wednesday - Mostly sunny, with a high near 36. North wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the afternoon.

Wednesday night - Snow likely, mainly after 4am. Cloudy, with a low around 28. Southeast wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Thursday - Rain likely, mainly before 11am. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 44. South wind 8 to 11 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Thursday night - Mostly clear, with a low around 29. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light west after midnight.

Friday - Sunny, with a high near 45. West wind 7 to 10 mph.

Friday night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 36. West wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Saturday - A chance of rain after 7am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. East wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Saturday night - A chance of rain before 10pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 36. North wind 6 to 9 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday - Sunny, with a high near 46. Northwest wind 10 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

Sunday night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 24. Northwest wind 9 to 13 mph.

Monday - Mostly sunny, with a high near 38. Northwest wind 7 to 9 mph.

Monday night - A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. North wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tuesday - A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40. East wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

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