 From the Archives
2/6/78
Severe storm heading north
By RON WINSLOW
Journal-Bulletin Staff Writer
A large, slow-moving snowstorm that meteorologists described as worse than the crippling storm of two weeks ago moved toward New England last night, packed with high winds and enough moisture to leave well over a foot of snow on the region.
Snow was expected to start about 4 a.m. today and continue all day and into tomorrow. It was snowing in New Jersey at 10:30 last night. The weather Service had originally expected the snow to begin here about midnight.
Temperatures are not expected to exceed 30 degrees, and thus weathermen were not expecting any change to rain during the storm.
"It's going to be near-blizzard conditions," predicted Everette Medeiros, meteorologist at the National Weather Service at Green Airport. "It will be worse than the last storm we had."
While he had no official prediction last night of how much snow would fall, Medeiros said it is likely the accumulation "will be measured in feet." A heavy snow watch was in effect for the entire state.
THE LAST STORM ON Jan. 20 dumped about 16 inches of snow, paralyzing the state. The National Guard was called out and Governor Garrahy proclaimed a state of emergency. It was five days before some areas recovered from the storm.
The approaching storm, which was still developing off the Carolina coast early last night, was expected to intensify as it moved northeastward. It was likely to move slowly and remain over the area for at least 24 hours, Medeiros said. Thus the snowfall was expected to be especially heavy.
In addition, while the snow in the last storm turned to rain in many areas before it ended, and prevented even higher accumulations, a change to rain this time is considered unlikely.
"It's going to remain cold enough that it will be all snow," Medeiros said. "We're quite entrenched in a good block of arctic air over us. We're not looking for any rain, even along the coast."
HE NOTED THAT CONDITIONS could change by morning, but he wasn't anticipating any changes last night.
Easterly winds of 25 to 30 knots today are expected to shift to the northeast tonight and reach gale force along the coast.
Local Civil Defense agencies were placed on alert throughout the state last night in preparation for the storm, Santo Amato, state Civil Defense director, said.
Trucks at state highway garages were ready last night to salt, sand and plow state roads, a spokesman said, despite a suggestion by an official of a union representing state employees that the contract dispute with the state may affect plowing during and after the storm.
GIOVANNI FOLCARELLI, executive director of Council 94, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said he has heard "rumors" of possible wildcat strikes by various locals around the state. He said Department of Transportation employees could refuse to plow the streets, although he stressed that any such action would be "strictly without any kind of authorization."
The union membership voted Jan. 30 to authorize the leadership of the 12,000-member union to call a strike. Folcarelli said no decision has been made yet whether state employees will walk out, but he indicated the workers are not happy.
Meanwhile, Silvio DiBello, acting Public Works director in Providence, said 11 city plows are ready for work. All had broken down during the last storm.
"How long they are going to alast, we don't know," DiBello said, adding that he was hiring private contractors to assist with the plowing anyway, a routine procdure during snowstorms.
By mid-morning, high winds and heavy snow forced most New York metropolitan area schools to close. Forecasters there predicted blizzard conditions and accumulations of more than a foot.
Heavy snow in Fairfield County, Conn., near the New York line, trapped motorists in their cars on Interstate 95, closed schools and caused numerous accidents.
Isolated delays of up to a half hour were reported on the Long Island Rail Road, and Conrail trains on the New Haven line were experiencing general 30-minute delays because of power problems.
New York's three major airports remained open.
The Weather Service here issued a travelers' advisory this morning. Tides also were expected to be about two feet above normal and there was a possibility of flooding in low-lying areas tonight and early tomorrow at high tide.
Throughout Rhode Island, snow removal trucks, many of which broke down after a Jan. 20 storm dumped about 16 inches of snow generally were reported ready. However, there was a question about some drivers.
GIOVANNI FOLCARELLI, executive director of Council 94, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said he has heard "rumors" of possible wildcat strikes by various locals around the state. He said Department of Transportation employe
es might refuse to plow the streets, although he stressed that any such action would be "strictly without any kind of authorization"
The union membership voted on Jan. 30 to authorize the leadership of the 12,000 member union called a strike Folcarelli said no decision has been made yet whether state employees will walk out, but he indicated the workers are not happy.
Governor Garrahy, asked about the situation during a visit to Newport this morning, said he hopes state workers will stay on the job. But if they don't, the state has contingency plans, he said. He did not elaborate.
Meanwhile, Silvio DiBello, acting Public Works director in Providence, said 11 city plows are ready for work. Al had broken down during the last storm.
"How long they are going to last, we don't know," DiBello said, adding that he was hiring private contractors to assist with the plowing anyway, a routine procedure during snow storms.
In Cranston, 14 plows and 30 to 35 private contractors were ready, and about the same number of trucks were poised in Warwick. East Greenwich reported its equipment was ready to go. East Providence reported 95 percent of its equipment ready for the latest storm.
In the Pawtuxet Valley, all but one of the 43 plows and sanders owned by West Warwick, Coventry, Scituate, West Greenwich and Foster were running this morning.
Coventry, which had the one idled truck, has lost seven of its 13 trucks in the last storm.
In South County, all the equipment in South Kingstown, North Kingstown and Narragansett was reported ready.
In northwestern Rhode Island, spokesmen for public works departments in North Providence, Johnston, Burrillville, Glocester, North Smithfield and Smithfield reported their workers and trucks ready.
In Johnston, the police department announced in anticipation of the storm that a parking ban would go into effect as soon as two inches of snow were on the ground.
Lt. Donald E. Wright of the East Providence police said cars will be towed anytime after noon when the city's parking ban was to go into effect.
THE LAST STORM, on Jan. 20, dumped about 16 inches of snow, paralyzing the state. The National Guard was called out and Governor Garrahy proclaimed a state of emergency. It was five days before some areas recovered from the storm.
Local Civil Defense agencies were placed on alert throughout the state last night in preparation for the storm. Santo Amato, state Civil Defense director, said.
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