Nasty Roads, Cancellations and Crashes Galore as Heavy Snow Pounds RI

RHODE ISLAND—Rhode Island got hit hard with an afternoon blast of snow on Monday, causing a rash of cancellations, crashes and spin-outs.

Snow is falling heavier than many people expected Monday afternoon, prompting school districts across the state to quickly cancel after school activities.

Meanwhile, as the stubborn early-spring storm dumps thick, heavy snow, crashes and spin-outs were being reported pretty much everywhere.

In a period between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m., the state police responded to nearly a dozen crashes on state roads, including a crash on Interstate 95 north near East Greenwich and a crash on Route 37 in Cranston.

Also in Cranston, a crash with no injuries was reported on Phenix Avenue involving a car and a school bus.

In Scituate, a car ended up on its roof on Route 116. Wakefield Street in West Warwick was the scene of several crashes. A car smashed into a pol in East Providence and burst into flames, but nobody was hurt.

Cars were also reported off the road on Route 4 near Exit 5 in North Kingstown, on 95 north near Exit 13, 95 south near Exit 18, and on and on. The Rhode Island State Police reported responding to 17 crashes alone between 2 and 3 p.m. That's two more crashes than what transpired during the morning commute, when troopers responded to 15 storm-related crashes.

By 5 p.m., the state police reported more than 30 crashes—and counting.

The stubborn and insistent snow caught motorists and public works and highway department crews off guard. In Cranston, for example, crews have been working on main roads since the afternoon but efforts were hampered because many trucks had already been taken off snow removal duty.

Fitting trucks with plows has taken extra time. A crew of private contract plow crews have been dispatched to handle side streets, said Cranston Mayor Allan W. Fung.

"Mother Nature is extremely cruel with this one last winter blast," Fung said.

Motorists are urged to stay off the roads, if possible.

The National Weather Service expanded an earlier Winter Weather Advisory into a Winter Storm Watch for Providence and Kent County. Washington and Newport Counties remain under a Winter Weather Advisory.

Road conditions will continue to be poor into the evening.

Snowfall totals are now expected to range between 4 and 8 inches.

Snow should taper off by 10 p.m.

A full list of closings and cancellations is below:

Photo: Walter Belonos