March Storm Brings Modest, Steady Snowfall To Woonsocket

A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for Woonsocket through 7 p.m., and a parking ban is in effect until 6 a.m. Saturday, but people and traffic seemed unfazed by the steady flurries being blown around Friday.

Some back roads had a coating of snow this morning as what proved to be a continuous series of wind-blown flurries settled in over the area for the day. Woonsocket appeared to have received the better half of the three to seven inches of snow predicted for the area for the day by mid-afternoon.

Woonsocket Fire Chief Gary Lataille, the city's emergency management director, said the city got about half an inch from the storm Wednesday, not much at all Thursday, then three to four inches Thursday night and another three to five inches during the day today. There's about another inch expected tonight. Lataille expects when the storm is over it will have dropped about 8-9 in inches of snow on the city. 

Schools city-wide were delayed by an hour, and after-school activities were canceled for Woonsocket Public Schools as well.

Park Avenue, Main Street and Social Street were a little slushy but otherwise free of snow at mid-morning, and the back roads were getting the attention of small plow contractors and big municipal trucks as they criss-crossed the city. 

Lataille said trucks and plows had been out all day keeping the roads clear, and the parking ban was put in place to give them an opportunity to finish up as the storm winds down.