Governor Dan McKee today in a press release outlined the resources and health guidance available to help keep residents safe during snowfall expected Sunday and extreme cold anticipated to start on Monday.
The latest forecast (3 pm on Jan 18) from the National Weather Service calls for the following conditions in Newport over the next few days.
Tonight
Rain, snow, and freezing rain before 1am, then a slight chance of freezing rain between 1am and 4am. Patchy fog before 4am. Low around 34. Southeast wind 6 to 13 mph becoming west after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Sunday
Rain, mainly after 3pm. High near 43. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Sunday Night
Rain and snow before 2am, then a slight chance of snow between 2am and 4am. Patchy fog before 2am. Low around 19. Northeast wind 10 to 17 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
M.L.King Day
Sunny, with a high near 24. West wind 13 to 16 mph.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 13. West wind around 9 mph.
Tuesday
Partly sunny, with a high near 19. West wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday Night
A chance of snow after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 12. West wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Wednesday
A chance of snow before noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 19. Northwest wind 10 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 10. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph.
The following emergency winter hubs, activated through the Department of Housing’s Municipal Homelessness Support Initiative, will provide additional overnight capacity to help keep Rhode Islanders safe. No referral through the Coordinated Entry System is needed to enter the hubs.
- West Warwick: West Warwick Civic Center, 100 Factory Street – Open Monday, January 20 at 4:30 p.m. through Thursday, January 23 at 10 a.m.
- Westerly: WARM Center, 56 Spruce Street – Open 24/7
- Woonsocket: 356 Clinton Street – Open Monday, January 20 at 5:00 p.m.
The following overnight drop-in shelters are available 24/7. Drop-in shelters are extensions of typical shelter operations but do not require a referral from the Coordinated Entry System.
- Pawtucket: OpenDoors: 1139 Main Street
- Providence: Crossroads Rhode Island: 160 Broad Street
- Providence: Emmanuel House: 239 Public Street
- South Kingstown (Peace Dale): Welcome House of South County: 8 North Road
On Saturday morning, Governor McKee and Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA) Director Marc Pappas convened municipal emergency management leaders from across the state to discuss cold weather preparations. RIEMA maintains a listing of municipal warming centers that cities and towns will be updating throughout the weekend. Learn more, here.
In preparation for the snowfall, forecasted to begin Sunday night, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation has crews on standby with 145 plows ready and an additional 220 vendors on call. RIDOT has 50,000 tons of salt ready to treat roads. Plows, trucks, and sanders will be out throughout the state, augmented by strategically placed tow trucks along major routes and areas where the state has seen incidents previously. If drivers must be on the road, they are urged to use extreme caution.
The Office of Energy Resources is in close communication with Rhode Island Energy (RIE) as they continue to prepare for the upcoming cold. RIE’s gas team continues to be ready for the drop in temperatures, with the LNG facilities on standby and staffed to vaporize as needed. RIE has additionally secured incremental electric resources and has additional crews available as needed.
If a member of the public is experiencing a heating crisis, their local Community Action Agency can assist with the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the Good Neighbor Energy Fund, and heating systems calls. Visit the following site to identify your local agency: www.ricommunityaction.org. You can also access more information specifically about LIHEAP crisis assistance on the Rhode Island Department of Human Services website.
The Rhode Island Department of Health is reminding Rhode Islanders that during periods of extreme cold, people should dress in layers and cover exposed skin when they are outdoors; they should also limit their time outside and watch for frostbite or hypothermia. Inside, they should take precautions to avoid freezing pipes, including leaving water taps dripping and opening cabinets beneath sinks to let warm air near water pipes. Lastly, they warn the public to keep space heaters three feet away from anything that may catch fire.
Rhode Islanders in need of assistance or additional support are encouraged to call 2-1-1 to find available options. For additional information, visit RIDOH’s page on Winter Health Tips or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) page on Extreme Cold
