Weekend storms pack a punch

PROVIDENCE— A second wintery blast made its way across Southern New England.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service say the snow-rain mix, which began Sunday morning, dumped about a foot of snow in northern Worcester County but for most of Southern New England, the rain and snow mix will leave us with the potential for 2 to 4” along the coast, 4 to 8” where it stays all snow.

NBC 10’s RJ Heim says it will become very windy with plummeting temperatures Sunday night but the precipitation will end. Low temperatures and increasing winds will cause slick spots with some refreezing on the roads.  Untreated pavements will become slippery overnight and will affect the morning coummute. 

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More than two dozen flights were canceled at T.F. Green Airport in Warwick. State leaders were trying to improve on their disastrous response to last year’s major snowfall. A Dec. 13, 2007, storm tied up roadways around the state, and children were trapped on school buses for hours.

Gov. Don Carcieri told reporters that traffic was much less than during last year’s storm.

The storm that blanketed Southern New England Friday was to blame for at least one fatality, officials said. Police say the man was working with a neighbor on Apple Blossom Lane.
The chain saw got stuck, and the limb snapped and fell on the man. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have now identified the victim as 44-year-old Leo Renauld.

Snow began falling in Rhode Island between noon and 3 p.m. Friday and began to accumulate rapidly. 

State police closed Route 6 west at Interstate 295 to trucks because they were having trouble making it up the hill.  Passenger cars and trucks are being allowed to pass through the area.  State police said the hill is very slippery and that trucks are struggling.

While dozens of flights were cancelled at T.F. Green, state officials said Amtrak and MBTA trains were operating on schedule.  The Block Island Ferry did not running.

To make room for snowplows, most municipalities canceled school Friday. Many, including Providence, also enacted parking bans for all or part of the day.

In Massachusetts, the weather was affecting flights at Logan International Airport on Saturday. More than 30 cancellations were reported mid-afternoon, along with more than 100 flights delayed by at least 45 minutes.  Travelers were urged to check with their airlines before making the trip to the airport.

The Associated Press contributed this report.