The National Weather Service has determined that official blizzard conditions were reached in Newport, Westerly, Providence, and Block Island.
...JANUARY 29TH BLIZZARD IN MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND... BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WERE REACHED AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS ACROSS RHODE ISLAND AND EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, 2022. LIGHT SNOW BEGAN LATE AT NIGHT ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 28. SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 2 FEET WERE COMMON ACROSS THE REGION. WIND GUSTS REACHED HURRICANE FORCE ON CAPE ANN, CAPE COD, AND NANTUCKET DURING THE STORM. THE DEFINITION OF A BLIZZARD IS THAT FALLING AND/OR BLOWING SNOW REDUCES VISIBILITY TO BELOW 1/4 MILE ALONG WITH WINDS THAT FREQUENTLY GUST TO 35 MPH OR MORE. THESE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS MUST BE THE PREDOMINANT REPORTED CONDITION FOR AT LEAST 3 CONSECUTIVE HOURS. WHEN REVIEWING WHETHER A PARTICULAR OBSERVATION LOCATION HAD BLIZZARD CONDITIONS, WE CONSIDERED VISIBILITIES EQUAL TO 1/4 MILE BECAUSE THAT IS QUITE LOW FOR AN AUTOMATED SENSOR TO BE ABLE TO DETECT IN SNOW OR BLOWING SNOW. AS OF 530 PM ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, SOME SNOW WAS STILL OCCURRING ACROSS THE REGION, SO WE WILL ISSUE A MORE COMPLETE REPORT, LISTING DURATIONS OF BLIZZARD CONDITIONS, EARLY NEXT WEEK. HOWEVER, IN THE MEANTIME, WE CAN CONFIRM THAT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS DID MEET BLIZZARD CRITERIA TODAY... IN RHODE ISLAND... PROVIDENCE (KPVD) WESTERLY (KWST) NEWPORT (KUUU) BLOCK ISLAND (KBID) IN MASSACHUSETTS... BOSTON (KBOS) WORCESTER (KORH) BEVERLY (KBVY) HYANNIS (KHYA) MARSHFIELD (KGHG) MARTHA'S VINEYARD (KMVY) STATIONS AT CHATHAM (KCQX), FALMOUTH (KFMH), PROVINCETOWN (KPVC), AND SMITHFIELD (KSFZ) WERE UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED BECAUSE THEY STOPPED REPORTING WIND, VISIBILITY, OR ALL DATA.