City parking ban in effect today

WOONSOCKET – With forecasters predicting a messy and slick afternoon commute, public safety officials are wasting no time getting the word out: A citywide parking ban goes into effect at 9 this morning and will remain in effect until tomorrow at 11 a.m. to give public works crews adequate clearance to plow snow.

The National Weather Service is calling for the white stuff to start falling after 2 p.m., with an accumulation of 1 to 3 inches before a change- over to freezing rain, sleet and, finally, overnight rain. Sleet could accumulate up to an inch on top of the snow before the switchover as nighttime temps bottom out just below the freezing mark, forecasters said.

It might still be raining tomorrow morning, but the precipitation should clear out after 9 a.m. as the daytime high temperatures approach the mid-40s – the warmest in days. Winds could make it feel a little cooler, though, as gusts approach 30 mph.