Snow in April? Here's what this 'late season Nor'easter' could bring to Rhode Island
PROVIDENCE - A "late-season Nor'easter" will bring heavy rain, powerful wind and flooding to Southern New England today into Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
The northwest corner of Rhode Island could even see a little snow.
The storm is expected to bring 1 to 2 feet of snow to parts of Northern New England.
"A robust system today and tonight will bring locally heavy wet snow over higher elevations, strong to damaging northeast wind gusts, heavy rainfall which could lead to renewed river flooding concerns, and coastal flooding, the weather service says in its forecast discussion for Southern New England. "Unsettled conditions may linger into next weekend as the storm will be slow to depart."
Rain, rain go away? RI's 2024 is one of the wettest years on record so far.
Rhode Island could see up to 2 inches of rain and wind gusts near 50 mph along the coast, the weather service says.
The weather service has issued flood watches and wind advisories. Rivers could flood. Flooding along the coast is also possible.
Offshore, a storm warning is in effect from 2 p.m. until 4 a.m. Thursday for Block Island and Rhode Island sounds with east winds blowing at 30 to 40 knots and seas 6 to 11 feet expected. The Block Island Ferry has canceled all trips today.
Has it ever snowed in Rhode Island in April?
It's hard to forget the April Fools' Day Bizzard of 1997, when Providence got 18 inches of snow.
But we also got a couple inches in April 2020 and April 2018. In 2017, Rhode Island got a couple inches in the northern part of the state. And on April 3 and 4, 2016, most of Rhode Island got about a half-foot.
The latest date of the year on which snow fell in Providence was May 10, 1977, according to a graphic from the weather service.
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI weather: Nor'easter to bring heavy rain, wind, floods; snow possible
