msnbc   |  February 09, 2013

Rhode Island travel ban to be lifted following blizzard

Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee has announced they will be lifting the travel ban imposed due to the massive winter storm dumping snow across the northeastern U.S. NBC’s Ron Mott reports.

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>>> getting word that people will soon able to get back on the roads in rhode island , as well. nbc's ron mott is standing by in providence. what's the latest, good sir?

>> reporter: hi there, craig . you know, i'm standing in the middle of francis street right across from the statehouse and i don't know how much longer they'll let me stand here because in a half hour governor chafee will open the roadways of the state back open to people and that should give them about an hour with some daylight to get to the grocery store and the drugstore and places they want to try to hit before the light goes away. it will be very dangerous driving out here even if the streets look clear, there may be black ice out here. i should be on the sidewalk and it's underneath this drift, if you will, craig , probably 48 inches of snow that the crews have been pushing this snow up against the sidewalk here. they're trying to ask people very kindly, if you don't have to be out, don't come foout for pictures and joyriding and they're here to help to try to get the lights back on for people who will probably spend the next two nights or so without power. 170,000 customers without power. the temperatures will get down into the single digits with windchills going below zero , craig . we're thinking about those folks going into saturday night into tomorrow. back to you.

>> ron mott there in providence, rhode island . thank you.