One year since the fourth-largest blizzard in Southern New England history
Late January has been a magnet for blizzards in the last decade, and while 2023 is quiet, it was just one year ago that we had a massive blizzard.
Storm Team 10 had special coverage during the blizzard to keep you informed.
Snow reports ranged from a foot on the low end to over two feet in some spots.
The Blizzard was official (35 mph gusts and visibility less than 1/4 mile from snow for 3 consecutive hours) in Providence, Newport, Westerly, and Block Island. Had wind reporting not failed in Smithfield, it likely would have been met there as well.
At Rhode Island T.F. Green Airport where official records are kept, 19.3 inches of snow fell, the fourth-most for a snowstorm on record.
That's barely above our January 2015 snowstorm and only below the Blizzard of '78 and our other big storms in 1996 and 2005.
Snowfall was highest in Norton where almost 30 inches was recorded! You may look at these numbers below and wonder why the Blizzard of 2022 isn't higher on the list above.
It would be impossible to compare every town for ranking, which is why T.F. Green Airport is used. Even in the Blizzard of '78, much more snow fell outside the Providence area. Northern parts of the state recorded over 40 inches!
Wind reports were just as significant. Gusts 70-83 mph were recorded from Taunton to Cape Cod, and with heavier, wetter snow on the Cape, power loss was much more significant. Fortunately, locally, it was mostly a non-factor.
Nearly seven years to the day before this storm was a powerful blizzard in its own right, the Blizzard of 2015.
From January 26-27, 1-2 feet of snow blanketed Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts with locally higher amounts as well to the north, east, and west.
Based on our records, blizzards like these seem to occur every 5-10 years (going back to the mid-90s).
Whenever the next blizzard arrives, Storm Team 10 will be ready. Thanks for reading.