Lighter and later snow than previously forecast; coldest day of the winter likely Saturday
PROVIDENCE – It looks like the snow expected to fall in Southern New England today will be even lighter and arrive later than previously forecast.
In an updated forecast, the National Weather Service lowered expected snow totals to less than an inch for most of Rhode Island and said snow is now expected to arrive mid to late afternoon.
The cold air that will follow the snow could have a greater impact since wind-chill values are likely to drop to zero or below Saturday and Saturday night.
Why were expected snow totals lowered?
A southward shift in the storm track is responsible for the diminished snow forecast.
"We still expect either snow showers or light snow to break out this afternoon in most of Southern New England; given both the further south track in the low pressure area and that northerly flow bringing drier air southward across a large portion of interior Southern New England, snow is likely to have a really difficult time becoming steady in the face of these conditions," the weather service says in its forecast discussion.
"Really can't see any accumulation being much worse than an inch along and northwest of I-95, and coatings should be more common," the forecaster wrote.
The highest snow amounts, 2 to 3 inches, should fall in southeastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod, according to the weather service. Southeastern Rhode Island could see 1 to 2 inches, the weather service says.
How cold will it be Saturday?
The high temperature today should reach only the high 20s today before dropping to about 12 degrees tonight. On Saturday, the temperature in Northwest Rhode Island might not reach 20 degrees and, with a northwest wind, the wind chill will linger around zero, according to the weather service.
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"Saturday is a cloudy, blustery and very cold day; and it should be the coldest day we've experienced to this point in the winter," the weather service says.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI weather: Snow forecast lowered; coldest day of winter likely Saturday
