Wintry Weather Expected To Bring Messy Mix To RI This Weekend

NEWPORT, RI — Rhode Island's next chance for wintry weather comes this weekend, when a messy mix of rain, snow and sleet is expected across the region.

At this point, it's hard to tell how exactly the storm will present itself, the National Weather Service said. Changes in air temperature will determine how much snow falls before warmer air turns precipitation into rain.

"What we know — snow will overspread Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut from west to east through the day [Saturday,]" NWS said. "What we don't know — the challenge, how much snow accumulates before warm air aloft changes snow to sleet, freezing rain and eventually rain?"

At this point, accumulations are only expected to be around half an inch in Rhode Island, though the wintry mix could make for unsafe road conditions for drivers during the day.

Here's a look at the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.

Thursday
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64. Southwest wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

Thursday Night
Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 50. Southwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.

Friday
Sunny, with a high near 56. West wind 7 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.

Friday Night
A slight chance of snow after 4 a.m. Increasing clouds, with a low around 33. West wind around 6 mph becoming calm after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Saturday
Rain and snow, possibly mixed with sleet before 4 p.m., then rain, possibly mixed with snow. High near 43. Calm wind becoming east around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Saturday Night
Rain, possibly mixed with snow, becoming all rain after midnight. Low around 35. East wind around 7 mph becoming north after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Sunday
A chance of rain before 7 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 41. Northwest wind 9 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 19. Northwest wind 9 to 13 mph.

Monday
Sunny, with a high near 34. Northwest wind 6 to 9 mph.

Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 24. West wind 6 to 9 mph.