Thousands Without Power In RI As Winds Top 60 MPH

Rhode Island was walloped with gale force winds overnight, leaving many to wake up to no power or downed trees in their neighborhood. The strong gusts combined with a sudden drop in temperatures, causing wind chills to drop below zero Tuesday.

Unofficial reports from the National Weather Service showed winds exceeding 65mph in parts of the state, such as Block Island, where 65mph gusts were recorded. On the mainland, most cities and towns saw gusts ranging from 40 to 50 mph, more than enough to down trees and power lines. The statewide wind advisory will remain in place until 3 p.m.

As of 10 a.m. Tuesday, approximately 4,200 Rhode Islanders were without power. Washington County saw the highest number of outages, accounting for a little less than half. Newport County, meanwhile, was the least affected.

Check the status of an outage using National Grid's online, interactive map.

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Tuesday morning, police departments across the state urged residents to use extra caution and leave early, since many roads were filled with debris or blocked by fallen trees. The sudden freeze after a day of rain means patchy black ice is possible on roads, as well.

The Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles announced that because of the dangerous conditions, all road tests scheduled for Tuesday morning were canceled. Anyone with an appointment will be contacted directly to reschedule.

The high winds, combined with freezing temperatures, pushed wind chills to near or below zero. As of early Tuesday morning, feel-like temperatures were negative 1 in Warwick, 2 degrees in Newport and three degrees in Westerly, according to the NWS.

Amid the dangerously cold conditions, the state's Emergency Management Agency reminded Rhode Islanders to dress in layers of loose-fitting clothing and cover exposed parts of the body to prevent hypothermia or frostbite when outdoors.

Unofficial wind reports from the National Weather Service are listed below, by county. All times are Tuesday unless otherwise noted.

Bristol County

• Bristol: 46 mph, 12:46 a.m.

Kent County

• T.F. Green Airport: 49 mph, 4:51 a.m.

Newport County

• Fogland: 61 mph, 3:37 a.m.
• Rose Island: 58 mph, 1:19 a.m.
• Beavertail: 54 mph, 2:13 a.m.
• Newport: 53 mph, 1:53 a.m.

Providence County

• Fox Point: 56 mph, 3 a.m.
• Smithfield-Lincoln: 55 mph, 12:56 a.m.
• Glendale: 47 mph, 4:03 a.m.
• Cumberland: 46 mph, 10:35 p.m. Monday

Washington County

• Block Island jetty: 65 mph, 2 a.m.
• New Shoreham: 58 mph, 3:57 a.m.
• Narragansett: 50 mph, 2:01 a.m.
• Charlestown: 49 mph, 4:15 a.m.
• Ningret Pond: 48 mph, 3:02 a.m.
• University of Rhode Island: 46 mph, 2:44 a.m.