Who’s ready for winter weather?! While a large portion of our Sunday will be calm (increasing clouds, highs in the low 40s), after days of anticipation, our winter storm arrives this evening. Precipitation will begin as rain around 5 PM, but change over to snow around 7 PM. Snowfall rates pick up as we get closer to midnight — we could see rates, at this point, of 1-2″ per hour. Snow continues into the wee early hours of Monday morning, finally tapering off as we get to 5/6 AM or so. By this point, the majority of us will have seen 2-4″, while northwestern Rhode Island could see 4-6″, even a bit more locally. The lowest snowfall amounts will be along the coast, where we’ll likely see a coating-2″ by Monday morning. Luckily, with Monday being Martin Luther King Jr. Day, fewer people will be on the roads for the Monday morning commute. That said, we do have Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories out for this storm through Monday morning. If you have to travel at any point throughout the course of this storm, be exceedingly cautious, and make sure you pack an emergency kit for your car. That kit should include things like blankets, extra clothes, a first aid kit,  water, snacks and a flashlight. Make sure your electronics are charged as well. No one wants a dead phone while they’re stuck in snowy traffic at 7 AM. After the snow ends, it’s all about the bitter cold sinking in this week. High temperatures will only be in the mid 20s on Monday afternoon, and that’s “warm” compared to what’s ahead. Our Arctic blast takes hold of the temperatures mid-week. Highs will be in the upper teens and low 20s Tuesday and Wednesday (even with the accompanying sunshine), and lows will be in the single digits. Our “feels like” values will be below zero on Tuesday and Wednesday morning- yikes! Stay safe and stay warm! Categories: News, Weather Forecast