Snowstorm hits Southern New England

CRANSTON, R.I.—A snowstorm pushed its way across Southern New England on Wednesday, dumping several inches of snow along the southern Rhode Island coast, but leaving people north of Providence wondering if the storm was coming.

NBC 10 meteorologist Mark Searles said the Providence area will see 3 to 4 inches of snow and that northern Rhode Island will get about 1 to 4 inches. The heaviest snowfall will be along the Rhode Island coast, where accumulations could total 8 to 12 inches.  As temperatures drop through the night, accumulations will increase and road conditions will deteriorate.  The storm is expected to wind down by midnight. (Storm Team 10 Forecast)

Police reported a fatal crash on Route 138 in Hopkinton in snowy conditions, and police responded to a number of minor crashes in Coventry where roads were slick.  Only scattered power outages were reported.

Public schools in communities across the region were closed and parking bans are in effect. (View Closings and Delays)

Some questioned why schools were closed Wednesday when heavy snow didn’t materialize in northern parts of Rhode Island during school hours. But emergency management officials said administrators made the right call.

“We stand behind that correct call to put the safety of our children—you know, err on the side of caution. Because the reality is, if the school would have gone on as normal, on release time we would have had very heavy snow conditions, particularly in the south, and potentially put the kids and the bus drivers at risk,“ said J. David Smith, director of the state Emergency Management Agency.

“We’re damned if we do, and we’re damned if we don’t on these things,“ Cranston school superintendent Peter Nero said Tuesday. “We’ll have parents who are upset no matter if we’re going to get 4 feet because they have obligations and there’s day care issues.“

Rhode Island government offices and courts stayed open, but jurors were told not to report. Connecticut coordinated the release of state and private workers to avoid potential commuting problems in Hartford.

Massachusetts officials gave some workers the day off and sent others home early, and encouraged private employers to do the same.

Rhode Island Department of Transportation crews started working on roads before sunrise, and officials urged people not to drive Wednesday night.

“Be careful driving. Keep your speeds down. Don’t drive if you don’t have to ... The winds are picking up, the temperatures are dropping, and there’s a complacency that can build in and we want to caution people against that,“ RIDOT Director Michael Lewis said.  “A wet road can become a frozen road, so be cautious.“

With more than 100 state plows ready to go and another 350 private plows on stand-by, state leaders said they were better prepared for this storm than they were two years ago, when roads were clogged for hours during the so-called December debacle.

The DOT said about $2 million is left in its snow budget, and the last large storm in December cost about that much to clean up.  The state could end up in the red if there’s another large snowfall after this one.

“I think we have enough in our budget to cover this storm. But after this storm, we may not have much left,“ said Paul Annarummo of the Rhode Island DOT on Tuesday.

Tow truck driver Jim Ferola was ready to go, checking his iPhone every few minutes for weather updates.

“Just waiting for the call,“ Ferola said. “We could be out here tomorrow morning if it snows pretty decent. We have to wait and see what happens.“

Phil Orlandella, a spokesman for Logan International Airport in Boston, said airlines delayed or canceled flights all day. John Wallace, a spokesman for Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Conn., said 15 planes started the day at the airport Wednesday morning, down from 45 typically.

Dozens of flights arriving at or departing from T.F. Green Airport in Warwick were canceled, according to the airport’s Web site. Officials at Green said passengers traveling to or from New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington should expect delays or cancellations to continue into Thursday.

Travelers should check with their airline for information about their flights.

NBC 10 found a few hearty souls at Horseneck Beach in Westport, admiring the winter scene.

Sam McLellan of Little Compton was on seal watch, with disappointing results.

“Nothing. Saw one yesterday down here. So, he’s out in the water,“ McLellan said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.