Lead: A late‑February blizzard dumped multiple feet of snow across Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts, leaving towns scrambling to reopen streets after smaller plow and utility trucks repeatedly became immobilized in deep drifts. Local crews and volunteers worked through Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2026, to extract stuck vehicles and clear prioritized routes, while state officials requested mutual aid and heavier equipment. Several municipalities reported large portions of their road networks still impassable, prompting calls for patience and targeted emergency assistance. Travel bans have been lifted but officials urged residents to stay off side streets to avoid further delays.
Key Takeaways
- Crews in Cranston, Pawtucket and Providence were observed freeing multiple small plows and tow trucks that had gotten stuck during the storm.
- Tiverton reported 14 town trucks deployed; roughly half were immobilized at peak operations and crews spent about six hours extracting vehicles.
- As of Tuesday morning, Tiverton officials estimated about 90% of the town’s roads remained unplowed.
- The Rhode Island Department of Transportation sent reinforcements: five large trucks and one loader to assist municipal crews.
- State leaders, including Gov. Dan McKee, said mutual aid requests were active and asked residents to report urgent medical access needs via 211.
- Authorities warned that, given limited local heavy equipment, full reopening of many neighborhoods may take two to three days.
Background
The storm that struck in late February 2026 produced heavy, wind‑driven snow across Rhode Island and parts of Massachusetts, creating drifts that overwhelmed smaller municipal fleets. Many New England towns maintain mixed-sized plow inventories—light trucks for narrow streets and heavier front‑end loaders for main roads—so unusually deep accumulations can render lighter equipment ineffective. In prior storms, jurisdictions have relied on mutual aid agreements and state transportation departments to bring in larger machines when local capacity is exceeded.
Municipal public works departments typically prioritize arterial roads, emergency routes and access to hospitals before tackling secondary streets. That prioritization shaped response decisions this week as crews focused on keeping major corridors open for emergency services. Local officials also used social media to request private vendors with heavy equipment to help accelerate neighborhood clearings.
Main Event
During the storm’s peak, 12 News crews documented multiple instances of light plows, tow trucks and utility vehicles getting stuck in deep snow in Cranston, Pawtucket and Providence. Somerset police likewise reported on social platforms that several tow trucks and small plows required assistance. These incidents repeatedly slowed operations as freed vehicles and their rescuers diverted manpower and equipment.
In Tiverton, DPW Director David Michael Silvia Jr. told local reporters that crews faced steep hills and deep drifts that trapped municipal trucks. Of the 14 vehicles deployed, Silvia estimated roughly half were rendered temporarily inoperative at times, and crews devoted nearly six hours to pulling out stranded town and emergency vehicles. The town asked private contractors for heavy equipment assistance to increase capacity.
By Tuesday afternoon, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation dispatched five large trucks and a loader to bolster Tiverton’s efforts. Town officials posted progress updates saying crews were making headway on main roads while many side streets remained untouched. Officials emphasized that clearing secondary streets would take additional days given limited heavy machinery and the scale of accumulation.
State and municipal leaders held a joint update Tuesday. East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva said municipal leaders consistently reported the same challenge: a shortage of heavy equipment able to move the volume of snow. Gov. Dan McKee confirmed mutual‑aid outreach to other states and urged residents to use 211 to report critical medical needs if their road remains uncleared.
Analysis & Implications
Operational strain on local public works is a central consequence of deep, wet snowfalls that defeat lighter plow fleets. When smaller trucks become trapped, they consume limited manpower and slow the broader clearing effort; crews must divert resources to vehicle recovery before continuing plowing. This dynamic can significantly extend the time it takes to restore passable conditions across neighborhoods, particularly in towns with small DPW rosters.
The immediate public‑safety implication is access to emergency services. Officials are triaging by keeping arterials and emergency routes open first, and using 211 to identify genuine medical access needs. Nonetheless, prolonged inaccessibility for noncritical but necessary travel—work commutes, supply deliveries, school services—can compound economic and social disruption in affected communities.
Requesting and receiving state reinforcements highlights both the value and the limits of mutual aid. Large trucks and loaders expedite clearing of main corridors and heavy drifts, but sustained neighborhood clearing still depends on a mix of municipal resources, private contractors and volunteer efforts. Local governments may now reassess fleet composition and mutual‑aid plans to ensure readiness for future high‑accumulation events.
Comparison & Data
| Metric | Tiverton (reported) | RIDOT Reinforcements |
|---|---|---|
| Town plow trucks deployed | 14 | — |
| Estimated trucks immobilized at peak | ~7 | — |
| Hours spent freeing vehicles | ~6 hours | — |
| Roads unplowed (estimate) | ~90% | — |
| State equipment sent | — | 5 large trucks, 1 loader |
The table summarizes numbers provided by Tiverton officials and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation’s reported reinforcement. These figures illustrate the gap between local clearing capacity and the volume of snow, and why external heavy equipment was necessary to restore main routes.
Reactions & Quotes
Town and state leaders framed the situation as an equipment and access problem rather than a personnel shortfall.
“We had trucks getting stuck on all the hills, so much of Monday was spent pulling out DPW and emergency vehicles,”
David Michael Silvia Jr., Tiverton DPW Director
Silvia’s comment was given while describing local recovery efforts and the town’s appeal for private contractor help. His remarks underline how vehicle recoveries diverted time and attention from routine plowing.
“We have reached out for mutual aid with other states, and we are receiving help to bring in more equipment,”
Gov. Dan McKee
McKee spoke at the state update to reassure residents that additional machines were being sourced and to direct those with urgent medical needs to report through 211 for prioritized assistance.
“What we heard echoed from municipality to municipality is that we need more equipment, heavier equipment, front‑end loaders,”
Mayor Bob DaSilva, East Providence
DaSilva emphasized that the equipment mix was a recurring theme in municipal briefings and a key factor determining how quickly neighborhoods can be reopened.
Unconfirmed
- Exact county‑wide totals for immobilized municipal and private vehicles during the storm remain unverified beyond reported town incidents.
- Comprehensive estimates of total hours DPW crews statewide spent on vehicle recovery versus plowing are not yet available.
- Reports of property damage tied directly to stuck plows and tow operations have not been independently confirmed.
Bottom Line
The blizzard exposed limits in small towns’ ability to handle extreme accumulations with lighter fleets: when municipal trucks become stuck, recovery consumes scarce resources and slows neighborhood reopenings. State reinforcement with heavy trucks and loaders is accelerating progress on key routes, but many secondary streets will likely remain blocked for days.
Residents should follow municipal guidance, avoid nonessential travel, and use designated channels—such as 211—if there is a critical medical need. In the coming weeks, local officials are likely to review fleet mixes and mutual‑aid plans to reduce vulnerability to similar high‑snow events.