Community Corner
How Much Snow will RI Get? Magic 8-Ball Says Ask Later
What is for sure is that the Rhode Island coast is at risk for coastal flooding, erosion thanks to a moon tide on Saturday.
Earlier this week, there was a reasonable chance that Rhode Island was about to experience a major winter snow storm this weekend with some storm models showing upwards of a foot of snow or more blanketing most of the state.
A lot has changed in just a few days and the most recent computer models released on Thursday now suggest that the Ocean State will dodge the worst of the approaching storm.
The National Weather Service has distilled the various models and is forecasting anywhere from 1 to 6 inches of snow across Rhode Island.
Find out what's happening in East Greenwichfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The tricky part is the fact that Rhode Island is in the middle of the storm’s leading edge, which means that just a slight change in the storm’s path could drastically change snowfall totals. If the storm tracks a little more north, we could get buried. A little more south, and some areas might see no snow at all.
“The ultimate effects will depend on the exact track of this system,” the weather service stated.
Find out what's happening in East Greenwichfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
What is certain is that the storm will bring great concern for the coast. Strong winds and surf could cause significant coastal erosion, coastal flooding and damage to vulnerable properties on the water. Adding to the worry is the fact that the storm coincides with a moon tide, which will fuel the intensity even more.
The high tides on Saturday will be at around 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Strong wind gusts could also result in downed limbs, power lines and power outages.
Local meteorologists have been careful all week not to commit to any snowfall predictions. Jim Laurie, who has been detailing the specific forces at play in the atmosphere all week on the Patch, said he’s calling for a little more snow than others.
“At any rate, I am calling for 6 to-9 inches from the south shore up to a line between Newport and southern Hopkinton,” he said on Thursday afternoon. “From there up to northwest Burrillville and east, I’m calling for 3-6 inches, with northwest Burrillville seeing 1-3 inches.”
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