A snowy downtown Providence on Friday afternoon. Photo by WPRO's Steve Klamkin.

WPRO Newsroom

AccuWeather meteorologist Bob Larson told WPRO on Friday afternoon that snowfall intensity will steadily increase throughout the late afternoon and evening, with winds becoming their strongest at night.

"The worst of the storm is likely to come late this evening after 9 or 10 o'clock through the pre-dawn hours of Saturday," said Larson.

Wind gusts could reach 50 to 60 miles per hour, and at the peak of the storm, snow could fall at a rate of 1 to 3 inches per hour.

"To this point, the storm is pretty much on track," he said.

Larson said that in order for the storm to be in the top ten for accumulation, the state must get at least 16 inches of snow — that record was set in January of 1943. The Blizzard of 1978 is still at the top of the list for the most accumulation seen in the state at 28.6 inches.

But Larson said he's "not expecting quite that much from this storm."

For detailed forecasts and up-to-the-minute closings and information, visit our Operation Snowball page.