Weather in RI on Wednesday could make for a messy commute. What you need to know
A storm moving into the region Wednesday should start as snow in time to make the evening commute messy before turning to rain Wednesday night and bringing the potential for flooding, the National Weather Service says.
The wind could also gust at 40 to 50 mph overnight and could knock out power.
How much snow will Rhode Island get?
Forecasters are predicting 3 to 4 inches of snow for the northwest corner of Rhode Island and lesser amounts to the south and east. Providence should get 1 to 2 inches. Along the coast, the storm might start as a mix of snow and rain; the coast shouldn't see any accumulation.
More:How much snow will Rhode Island get this winter? Here's what experts say.
The precipitation should change from snow to rain between 6 p.m. and midnight, starting in the south and moving north. Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts could see 2 to 3 inches of rain, enough to cause street flooding and minor flooding along rivers and streams, the Weather Service says.
More:How New England's winter economy and chances of a white Christmas are changing
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The region has had frequent rain but not much snow so far this winter, just 4.7 inches from the start of December through Monday in the Providence area. Normally the Providence area has had about 15 inches of snow by now.
The storm should bring 6 to 8 inches of snow to northwestern sections of Massachusetts, where the cold air will stay in place longer.
In Rhode Island, rain is likely to continue into Thursday morning before it winds down and turns partly sunny, though it will stay breezy, according to the Weather Service.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI Weather: Snow, power outages and messy commute possible Wednesday
