8:30 a.m. AndrÉ Thibeault, Providence School Department director of operations, gets update from Ocean State Weather that the storm would arrive earlier than anticipated, with snow beginning after noon and intensifying between 1 and 2 p.m.

9 a.m. The state Department of Transportation, with more than 300 snowplows available, begins sanding and salting state roads and highways. In Providence, Schools Supt. Donnie Evans is notified that the School Department should consider early dismissal.

10 a.m. School Department executive team recommends schools be dismissed two hours early.

10:45 a.m. Evans decides to close schools two hours early: secondary students at 12:35 p.m.; elementary students at 1:05 p.m.

11 a.m. First Student Transportation district supervisor gets word from School Department and begins calling back bus drivers.

11 a.m. RIDOT reports heavy snowfall throughout the state.

11:43 a.m. National Weather Service reports from its observation station at T.F. Green Airport, snow and fog at 27 degrees. Visibility is extremely limited.

12:27 a.m. Weather service reports snow, freezing conditions and fog. Visibility is limited to a quarter-mile. Storm intensity is upgraded from light to heavy. Measurable quantities of snow are accumulating.

1 p.m. As students leave schools and employers allow workers to leave early, traffic gridlocks in downtown Providence. Snow is falling at 2 to 3 inches an hour.

1:12 p.m. Providence police are dispatched to traffic accident on North Main and Pleasant streets, the first of 15 incidents involving school buses.

1:51 p.m. Weather service reports that heavy weather has passed, but snow, freezing conditions and thick fog continue.

2 p.m. First Student realizes that school buses taking students home are getting stranded. Bill Roche, contract manager for the busing company, says the company updated the operations department of Providence schools every 15 minutes throughout the afternoon and every five minutes throughout the evening.

2:13 p.m. First Student district manager sends e-mail to Providence schools director of operations reporting numerous traffic problems reported by bus drivers.

2:26 p.m. First Student reports to School Department that all buses are running 60 to 90 minutes late.

2:30 p.m. Providence schools reports that principals say as many as 50 percent of buses have not picked up students from schools.

3 p.m. Providence schools director of operations Thibeault, at Westminster Street, reports his first realization that buses were not moving due to traffic gridlock.

3:34 p.m. Weather service reports conditions have dropped to light, but the temperature is 25 and snow continues to accumulate.

About 4 p.m. Tractor-trailer jackknifes at Exit 18 on Route 95 north, the Thurbers Avenue curve.

4:13 p.m. Rhode Island 911call center receives the first call reporting children stranded on school buses stuck in gridlock in Providence.

4:30 p.m. DOT reports major traffic disruptions from tractor-trailer jackknife on Route 95 North, at Exit 18. About eight vehicles are blocking two of three lanes of Route 195 eastbound at Exit 5 because they are unable to climb a slight grade.

4:30 to 5 p.m. Providence schools director of operations Thibeault says he has spoken with city public works and police about road conditions. Police agree to arrange transport of stranded Springfield School student.

5:20 p.m. Providence school operations learns from six principals that seven buses have yet to pick up students at their schools — King, Kennedy, Bailey, Sackett, Windmill and Kizirian. Students also stranded at Messer, Vartan Gregorian and Green schools.

5:51 First Student reports to the School Department that 16 students are at bus yard, awaiting parent pickup.

About 5 p.m. Rhode Island Emergency Management Director Robert J. Warren leaves his office to go home.

5:51 p.m. Snow intensity and accumulations increase, along with freezing conditions and thick fog, according to the weather service.

About 5:30 p.m. Warren speaks with Paul Tencher, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts’ chief of staff, about opening the Emergency Operations Center.

5:30 p.m. Supt. Evans leaves his office for home on the East Side. It takes him two hours.

6:20 p.m. Tomas Hanna, deputy schools superintendent for operations, e-mails school officials, including superintendent, about transportation problems.

7 p.m. Command center is set up in the Transportation Management Center of the state DOT’s Smith Hill office. Brian Stern, Governor Carcieri’s chief of staff, joins DOT Director Jerome Williams, a state police trooper and a handful of DOT employees.

7:15 p.m. First Student reports to Providence schools that 60 to 70 buses are still on the road. Unknown how many students are involved.

7:25 p.m. Kim Rose, Providence schools communications director, calls superintendent to alert him that media is inquiring about the buses.

7:30 p.m. Warren returns to EMA

Evening: After trading phone messages during the day with Carcieri in Southwest Asia during the day, Stern talks to him via satellite phone. Stern said he had one “lengthy conversation” with Carcieri. They decide against opening the Emergency Operations Center. “Really, his primary concern was, is this a loss-of-life issue? Or is this a major inconvenience?” said Stern.

7:30 p.m. Providence police find a bus filled with children, that had slid off Manton Avenue. Police are picking up children on buses stranded throughout the city.

7:30 p.m. Providence schools’ Rose talks to other school officials and to media and reports 60 buses are still out with unknown number of students.

7:46 p.m. Weather service reports heavy snow resuming, along with freezing conditions and fog.

8 p.m. Evans gets a phone call from Police Chief Dean Esserman offering help for the stranded school buses. Evans says this is the first he is aware of the problem.

8:04 p.m. Weather service gives last report of snow, with freezing conditions and thick fog continuing.

8:30 p.m. John Simmons, Cicilline’s chief of staff, calls Providence police chief for information. Police chief confers with schools superintendent by phone. Esserman mobilizes Providence police and orders them to respond to First Student and to public works.

8:45 p.m. A Journal reporter reaches Providence Emergency Management Director Leo Messier at home. He says it took him three hours to drive to his house in Providence from the city EMA office.

8:51 p.m. Providence schools Thibeault tells First Student that police have offered to meet buses and take students home. First Student reports 43 buses still on the road.

Shortly after 9 p.m. Police begin arriving at bus yard and arranging rides home. Officers respond to locations throughout the city and assist stranded students.

10:18 p.m. First Student tells school department nine buses are still on the road and police are assisting.

11:20 p.m. All students reported home.

Sources: Providence Journal staff reports and City of Providence report.