Honestly, if you've lived in the Ocean State for more than five minutes, you know the drill. You check the weather app, see a snowflake icon, and immediately wonder if you should be sprinting to Dave's Marketplace for milk and bread or if it's just going to be another "slushy mess" that ruins your car's alignment.
Today is Saturday, January 17, 2026. Right now, Rhode Island is sitting under a thick blanket of clouds with a current temperature of 43°F. It feels more like 36°F thanks to a southwest wind at 11 mph. It’s that weird, damp New England cold that gets into your bones despite what the thermometer says.
The Immediate Snow Forecast Rhode Island Breakdown
If you're looking for a winter wonderland today, you're mostly out of luck. The current setup is a classic coastal struggle.
For the rest of Saturday, we’re looking at light rain during the day with a high of 46°F. That’s way too warm for the white stuff to stick, or even form. However, things get a bit more interesting—or annoying, depending on your perspective—once the sun goes down.
Tonight, the temperature is expected to drop to a low of 33°F. There’s a 20% chance of snow overnight. It’s not exactly a blizzard, but as any local knows, 33 degrees is that "danger zone" where the roads can get greasy fast.
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- Daytime: High of 46°F, 73% chance of rain.
- Nighttime: Low of 33°F, 20% chance of snow.
- Wind: Southwest at 14 mph.
The "Double-Header" Storm Threat
Here is the thing: today is just the opening act. Forecasters like those at WX1BOX and the National Weather Service in Norton are eyeing a more complex system for Sunday, January 18. While today’s precipitation is mostly rain for us while the Berkshires get the "real" snow, Sunday is the one that might actually require a shovel.
There’s a second storm system expected to move through Sunday afternoon and evening. This one has a bit more "teeth" for Rhode Island and Southeast Massachusetts. Some models suggest a "plowable" snow is possible, though the experts are being cautious. The westward extent of the offshore low is still being debated in the weather offices.
Basically, if that low-pressure system hugs the coast, we’re looking at several inches. If it stays out to sea? Just another windy, cold Sunday.
Why Rhode Island Snow is So Hard to Predict
Microclimates. That's the short answer.
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You can be in Westerly and see nothing but rain while Foster-Glocester is getting absolutely hammered with six inches. It’s a running joke for a reason. Northwest Providence County often sees significantly higher totals because of the elevation and the distance from the slightly "warmer" waters of Narragansett Bay.
Historically, January and February are the heavy hitters. We've seen everything from the legendary Blizzard of '78 (which dumped 30 inches on Woonsocket) to the massive 51.5-inch month Foster recorded in January 2011.
This 2025-2026 season was predicted by the Old Farmer’s Almanac to be "mild with pockets of wild." So far, that’s tracking. We had a Winter Weather Advisory back on New Year’s Eve that brought a quick 2 to 4 inches, and now we’re back to this "rain-turning-to-slush" pattern.
The La Niña Factor
We are currently navigating a La Niña winter. Statistically, since the 90s, La Niña years have actually trended toward being snowier in the Northeast, even if the temperatures are slightly above average. It creates this volatile situation where we get plenty of moisture, but the "rain-snow line" is constantly dancing right over I-95.
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It’s exhausting for the DPW crews and even more annoying for anyone trying to plan a Saturday night out in Providence.
What You Should Actually Do Right Now
Since we have that 20% chance of snow tonight and a much more uncertain "plowable" threat on Sunday, don't ignore the prep.
- Check the tires. If your treads are bald, that 33-degree slush tonight will feel like an ice rink.
- Gas up the snowblower. Even if Sunday ends up being a bust, you don't want to be the person at the gas station when the first flakes actually start sticking.
- Watch the "Dry Slot." Meteorologists are mentioning a dry slot that could lower snow totals. If you see the radar looking empty but the clouds are still there, that’s likely what’s happening.
- Salt the walkway. With a low of 33°F, anything that falls as rain today will likely freeze into a thin sheet of black ice by tomorrow morning.
The snow forecast Rhode Island is always a moving target. For today, keep the umbrella handy and maybe keep the salt bucket near the door for tomorrow morning. We’ll know by tomorrow morning if Sunday's "plowable" potential is going to turn into a reality or just another "should've, could've, would've" storm.
Stay safe out there and keep an eye on the local updates as that Sunday low-pressure system makes its final move toward the coast.