Strong Nor'easter Zeroing In On Rhode Island

RHODE ISLAND — Forecasters are eyeing a potential winter storm that could begin the week by dropping a foot of snow across southern New England, including in Rhode Island.

Meteorologists say there is still uncertainty about the track of storm, and stress there's yet room for a change between now and Monday night when the storm is expected to begin.

"[But] chances are increasing of an impactful winter storm," NBC meteorologist Aaron Perry told Patch Friday evening.

Early forecasts say the storm could begin late Monday night and last into early Wednesday.

Meteorologists are eyeing the rain/snow line, which could determine who gets 6-11 inches of snow in Rhode Island. Wind gusts might reach 50 miles per hour, with even stronger ones on the along the coast and islands, Perry said.

"If this storm materializes, significant snow accumulations would be possible for some along with a period of strong winds & coastal flooding along the eastern MA coast," the National Weather Service tweeted Friday afternoon.

The storm would follow a major cold spell that has plunged the region to its lowest temperature in two years. The low mark Friday morning hit 7 degrees in Boston, which is the coldest since Jan. 1, 2019. Wind chills in Worcester dropped to as low as negative 19 degrees.

Temperatures were still stuck in the single digits Saturday morning.

Mike Carraggi can be reached at mike.carraggi@patch.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatchCarraggi. Subscribe to Boston Patch for free local news and alerts and like us on Facebook.

Follow Aaron Perry on Twitter.

Providence-area forecast via National Weather Service

Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 22. Wind chill values as low as -1. Northwest wind around 10 mph.

Saturday night
Clear, with a low around 4. Wind chill values as low as -4. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph.

Sunday
Increasing clouds, with a high near 27. Wind chill values as low as -5. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning.

Sunday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18. Calm wind becoming northeast around 6 mph after midnight.

Monday
Snow likely, mainly after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 34. Northeast wind 8 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Monday Night
Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Low around 29. Northeast wind 16 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 6 to 10 inches possible.

Tuesday
Snow likely, mainly before 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 33. North wind 16 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Tuesday Night
A chance of snow before 9pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. Northwest wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Wednesday
Partly sunny, with a high near 36. Northwest wind around 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 22. Northwest wind 7 to 9 mph.

Thursday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 41. West wind around 8 mph.

Thursday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. West wind 5 to 7 mph.

Friday
A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47. Southwest wind 7 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.