Blizzard Warning continues for all of southern New England through Monday

Blizzard conditions have blanketed all of Southern New England this Monday morning an will continue through the rest of this morning as the height of the storm continues. The combination of heavy, wet snow and powerful northeast wind gusts of 50-70 mph will produce blizzard conditions across all of Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts for multiple hours. Visibility will drop to near zero at times. Travel will be impossible and certainly NOT recommended.

The weight of this snow will be considerably higher than the previous storms this season due to higher surface temperatures and more water content. That increases the risk for tree damage and power outages.

Allow yourself time to safely remove the snow. If possible, make multiple passes with your shovel, plow, or snowblower.

TIMING

The heaviest snow continues through Monday morning. Snowfall rates of 2-3″ per hour are possible at this time, along with pockets of thundersnow!

The heaviest snow will move across the area Monday morning with rates of 2-3″/hour possible at times

Monday morning will feature bands of heavy snow along with powerful northeasterly wind gusts.

It might not be until 3 PM Monday when snowfall rates let up. However, light to moderate snow could linger until 11 PM.

WIND

The wind is going to play a major role in the forecast. Winds will be gusting 50-70 mph through Monday afternoon. Snow will be blowing and drifting, adding to the near-zero visibility. There is a high probability of blizzard conditions persisting for several hours.

Power outages will be likely, especially along the south coastline. The combination of gusts of 60 mph or more and a wet, heavy snow may result in downed tree limbs and wires.

SNOWFALL

The snowfall forecast is increasing for Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts, as the track of this Nor’easter will take it close to the “benchmark”, creating the perfect setup for a big snowfall.

A widespread 18 to 24 inches is expected across most of Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts, with 12 to 18 inches along the immediate south coast and towards the Cape Cod canal.

TRAVEL

Expect this to be a major disruption to travel. Road conditions will deteriorate rapidly on Sunday night and could become impassable by Monday morning. This is not even factoring in the zero visibility from the blizzard conditions due to heavy snow and strong wind gusts.

Make sure to stay with Storm Team 10 for all of the latest on this nor’easter!