Snow removal efforts, warming centers and city services are in place as winter storm approaches
Mayor Brett P. Smiley and the Providence Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) today urged Providence residents to take appropriate precautions as a winter storm is forecast to bring hazardous conditions to Providence starting tonight Friday, February 6 through tomorrow Saturday, February 7. The Department of Public Works (DPW) proactively prepared all equipment and personnel to respond to the storm. Roadways are being pretreated tonight ahead of the expected snowfall and snow clean-up efforts will begin overnight. With snow accumulation expected to begin overnight, a Citywide parking ban will go into effect starting tonight, Friday, February 6 at 12AM until tomorrow, Saturday, February 7 at 5PM.
“Our Department of Public Works crews have already begun pretreating roads throughout Providence and will be working around the clock tonight and through the weekend to make our streets safe and accessible throughout Providence,” said Mayor Brett Smiley. “While we try to avoid implementing parking bans due to the inconvenience it places on residents and local businesses in our city, this ban is critically necessary to ensure our teams can effectively clear our roads and avoid further inconveniences to our community following last week’s storm. We have been in close communication with the City’s merchant associations, small businesses and entertainment venues and will be working nonstop to help our businesses stay open on Saturday night.”
The parking ban will prohibit parking on all snow routes and city streets to allow snowplows to clear roadways effectively. The parking ban will be in place through tomorrow at 5PM with the possibility of an extension. The City will issue a press release, a PVD311 text notification, a website update and social media posts once the ban is lifted or extended. Violators may be subject to ticketing and towing. During a parking ban, residents, including those with an overnight parking permit, are not allowed to park on city streets. Parking in Providence Public School parking lots is prohibited during a parking ban.
Starting this year, overnight permit holders will now be able to park at one of sixteen approved locations citywide. If there is not an approved location nearby, residents can use another approved site, including on-street locations adjacent to city parks, parking lots within city parks and select on-street locations on particularly wide streets.
Permit holders can move their vehicle to an approved location once a snow parking ban is announced. After the ban is lifted, residents have eight hours to move their vehicle from the approved location. Vehicles left past this grace period may be ticketed or towed to allow city plows to clear streets efficiently.
To facilitate snow removal and ensure safety, all micromobility services, including shared bikes and scooters, will be temporarily paused starting at 12AM tonight and will remain paused until the City’s snow parking ban is lifted.
The City and PEMA recommend all residents stay indoors when possible and limit exposure to the cold and wind. They also encourage the community to take precautions and are providing the following tips and suggestions.
Cold Weather Safety Tips:
- Be aware of the fire danger from space heaters and candles; keep such devices away from all flammable materials.
- Install recommended smoke and carbon monoxide detectors (at least one of each per floor in your home).
- Stay indoors and use safe heating sources.
- Do not use charcoal or other fuel-burning devices, such as grills indoors; these produce carbon monoxide.
- Outdoors, stay dry and in wind-protected areas.
- Wear a hat or hood to prevent heat from escaping the body and several layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing rather than one layer of heavy clothing, covering all exposed skin during exposure.
- Bring household pets inside, if possible.
- Check on your neighbors, especially the elderly and people with special needs.
- Wear mittens, a hat and cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs.
- Watch for signs of frostbite—skin appears white and waxy, numbness or no feeling in that area and/or possible blister.
- Watch for signs of hypothermia—shivering and numbness, confusion or dizziness, stumbling and weakness, slow or slurred speech and shock.
To assist residents affected by the cold temperatures, warming centers will be open to the public. For a full list of warming centers, visit www.providenceri.gov/pema/providence-warming-centers/.
In the event of a power outage, residents should contact Rhode Island Energy at 855-743-1102. Residents are reminded to never to touch downed power lines and report downed lines to Rhode Island Energy.
Stay informed on upcoming weather events or possible storms by following the City of Providence and PEMA social media platforms and by creating a PVD311 profile and signing up for PVD311 text notifications.
To receive up-to-the-minute alerts and updates, residents are encouraged to register for the CodeRED emergency notification system by visiting: https://www.providenceri.com/PEMA/codered.
In case of an emergency, dial 911. For non-emergency issues, contact PVD311 during business hours.
The City will issue a press release, social media posts and a PVD311 text alert once the parking ban is lifted.