The most severe winter storm to strike Rhode Island in decades continued to unleash its force Monday, covering the state with a thick blanket of wind-driven snow, bringing regular life to a standstill and causing tens of thousands of power outages.
The National Weather Service projected total snowfall in Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts from what it called a “high impact winter storm” would top out at accumulations of two feet. The NWS issued a blizzard warning starting Sunday afternoon, lasting through Monday and into Tuesday for all of Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.
Winds of up to 60 mph contributed to power outages for almost 40,000 Rhode Island customers as of 9 a.m., according to Rhode Island Energy. In Massachusetts, National Grid reported more than 3,000 outages in Bristol County.
The snow was expected to taper off Monday afternoon into the evening.
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee declared a state of emergency on Sunday, issued a travel ban and enabled the activation of the National Guard as needed.
“We’re asking Rhode Islanders to take this storm seriously and stay home,” McKee said in a statement. “This is an all-hands-on-deck response. Our state agencies have the resources and manpower they need to respond and keep Rhode Islanders safe.”
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey also called a state of emergency.
State government offices were closed Monday, as were schools and most businesses, as the storm brought the typical start of the workweek to a standstill.
Providence, Newport and some other communities imposed parking bans.
At T.F. Green International Airport, “airlines have cancelled all scheduled departing and arriving commercial flights at PVD through approximately 6:20 p.m. today due to the significant winter storm impacting the region,” according to spokesman Bill Fischer. “Airlines may extend cancellations beyond that time depending on weather conditions and system wide operational considerations. Travelers should continue to monitor flight status directly with their airline before coming to the airport.”
The powerful storm made for the second big snowfall in Rhode Island this winter, the snowiest season in a number of years. It attracted comparisons to the Blizzard of ‘78, which resulted in dozens of deaths and the stranding of hundreds of motorists, as most people were unaware of the severity of the approaching weather.
