Blizzard Watch Issued for Friday into Saturday

Rhode Island, including Bristol and Warren, is under a Winter Storm and Blizzard Watch, effective Friday morning into Saturday, with up to a foot or more of snow expected.

Stay updated with the Bristol and Warren forecast on the Bristol-Warren Patch Weather page, and get set up with school closing alerts by clicking here.

Snow is expected to begin Friday morning, possibly mixing with rain in the afternoon, before returning Friday night to heavy, wet snow that could fall at a rate of up to 3 inches an hour, according to the National Weather Service. The height of the storm is expected to hit late Friday night into Saturday morning, continuing into the afternoon Saturday.

Forecasts are currently calling for 10-16 inches for the Bristol-Warren area, but accumulations depend on where the snow/rain line end up. Areas just north and west are expecting upwards of 2 feet. Should the storm shift slightly south, Bristol and Warren could be in for bigger accumulations. Stay tuned with Bristol-Warren Patch for the latest information on the weather and any closings and cancelations in the area.

The National Weather Service issued the storm warning just after 3 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, and followed it with a high-wind alert for Friday night, with wind speeds of 35 to 45 mph and gusts as high as 65 mph.