Snow!

Original Post March 2026

For years, winter storm lore in Newport benchmarked the infamous Blizzard of 1978 with its 29" of snow. But records are made to be broken, and that's exactly what happened from February 22-23, 2026 when 34" of wet, heavy snow pummeled our City. What resulted from that pounding by Mother Nature was the indomitable spirt of Newport. Our staff pre-positioned, executed emergency operations through the storm, helped each other out when countless vehicles were getting stuck, and made it to some Monday sunshine so that the recovery could begin. What followed was a week-long symphony of coordination between the City administration, the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, and everyday Newporters who were all determined to get our City back up and running as soon as possible. From our 24/7 Emergency Operations Center to our First Responders to our powerhouse Public Services team, we ate the proverbial elephant one bite at a time until normalcy returned. I cannot emphasize just how proud I am of the team I have the privilege to lead, and the incredible accomplishments they had during this trying event. I will go to battle with this team any day of the week.