A winter storm blowing through the eastern U.S. this weekend is expected to bring very cold wind chills and heavy snow to Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.
The National Weather Service expects temperatures to drop close to zero degrees on Friday night, with very cold wind chills reaching as low as 15 degrees below. The weather service expects the frigid temperatures to last from 10 p.m. Friday through 10 a.m. Saturday.
“Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures,” an advisory issued Friday morning said.
Communities across Rhode Island plan to open warming centers. The Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency maintains a full list of those locations. The 2-1-1 help line, operated by the United Way of Rhode Island, can also connect people to services.
Beginning Sunday morning, the weather service said a storm could also drop 8 to 15 inches of snow throughout southern New England.
“Travel could be very difficult to impossible,” the advisory said. “The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning and evening commutes.”
Rhode Island Energy said it is prepared to respond quickly to power outages.
“We want to assure our customers that our gas and electric systems are ready for whatever Mother Nature brings our way over the coming days,” RIE President Greg Cornett said in a news release. “Our crews will be on standby and ready to deploy as needed, and we have secured extra crews to help us respond to outages as quickly and safely as possible.”
Rhode Island Energy customers can report power outages by texting OUTAGE to 743674, and can check the status of an outage by texting STATUS to 743674.
In Providence, Mayor Brett Smiley said wind gusts are not expected to be strong enough to cause widespread outages, though the consequences if that happens could be severe.
“If you lose power, because of the temperatures, it will be very unsafe to stay in your home,” Smiley said. “You can avail yourself of any of our warming centers, and you can find those warming center locations on the city’s website.”
Crossroads Rhode Island, the state’s largest provider of housing and services for people experiencing homelessness, said even brief skin exposure could be dangerous during the storm’s coldest hours.
“Do not wait until you are already shivering to seek shelter,” the organization said in a release. “This is life-threatening weather, and getting indoors as soon as possible will save lives.”
Along the coast and offshore, winds are expected to be more intense. On Block Island, the office manager of the local utility company, Tracy Fredericks, said a combination of high winds and heavy snow could down tree limbs and power lines.
“So we’re worried,” Fredericks said, “but we’re all from New England so we’re used to it.”
Ocean State Media’s David Wright contributed to this story.
