NOAA climate atlas · updated August 2026
Rhode Island Climate Data
Climate normals for 9 station-mapped locations, each from its primary station in Rhode Island's 23-station NOAA network.
- average temperature
- 51°F (11°C)51.2°F · fleet p50 52.2°F · n=50
- Cooler than median
- annual precipitation
- 48.7"48.7 inches · fleet p50 43.7 inches · n=50
- Wetter national band
- annual snowfall
- 40.8"40.8 inches · fleet p50 24.7 inches · n=50
- More snow than median
- locations / stations
- 9 / 23State coverage: 9 locations / 23 stations. Benchmark context: this profile's measured location and NOAA-station counts.
- State coverage
Rhode Island's climate in one line
Rhode Island averages 51°F a year - cooler than 56% of U.S. states, spanning N Foster at 49°F to Tiverton at 53°F.
- 51°F
- statewide average · 44th percentile of states
- 49"
- average annual precipitation
- 68/100
- most comfortable: Newport State
- 9
- station-mapped locations · 23 NOAA stations
Statewide figures are simple averages across 9 station-mapped locations (each from its primary NOAA station), local conditions vary widely by elevation and coast distance.
How Rhode Island ranks among all 50 states
Rhode Island's average temperature vs. all U.S. states
Statewide annual mean temperature, NOAA 1991–2020 normals
51°F 44th percentile cooler than 56% of 50 U.S. states
- 30°F–35°F: 1 US states (2%). Below this entry.
- 35°F–40°F: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry.
- 40°F–45°F: 8 US states (16%). Below this entry.
- 45°F–50°F: 10 US states (20%). Below this entry.
- 50°F–55°F: 12 US states (24%). This entry sits in this band.
- 55°F–60°F: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry.
- 60°F–65°F: 7 US states (14%). Above this entry.
- 65°F–70°F: 2 US states (4%). Above this entry.
- 70°F–75°F: 2 US states (4%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (statewide aggregate) · 1991–2020
Rhode Island in the national rankings
- Ranks #23 coldest of 50 states at 51.2°F annual average, 1.9°F below the 53.1°F mean of all state averages - see all 50 coldest states ranked by NOAA normals
- In winter (Dec–Feb) it averages 32.1°F, the #24 coldest winter of 50 states - winter ranking
Temperature × precipitation · 50-state landscape
Rhode Island in the national climate landscape
Rhode Island averages 51.2°F and 48.7 inches of annual precipitation across 9 station-mapped locations. Against the same complete 50-state cohort, that places it in the cooler and wetter half of the chart. Dashed lines mark the national medians of 52.3°F and 43.7 inches.
Read all 50 state values
Each point is PlainClimate's simple average across the station-mapped location normals available for that state. Cohort sizes vary and are shown below; the values are not population weighted. Dashed lines mark the median of this 50-state comparison and are guides, not comfort or safety thresholds.
| State | Locations | Annual mean | Annual precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 172 | 33.5°F | 47.6 in |
| Alabama | 100 | 63.3°F | 57.9 in |
| Arkansas | 110 | 60.7°F | 52.2 in |
| Arizona | 169 | 62.3°F | 12.4 in |
| California | 363 | 59.8°F | 21.6 in |
| Colorado | 214 | 46.3°F | 15.9 in |
| Connecticut | 23 | 50.1°F | 48.6 in |
| Delaware | 7 | 56.2°F | 46.8 in |
| Florida | 165 | 72.6°F | 55.2 in |
| Georgia | 122 | 63.4°F | 52.0 in |
| Hawaii | 49 | 72.4°F | 48.5 in |
| Iowa | 143 | 48.0°F | 35.9 in |
| Idaho | 139 | 46.1°F | 18.0 in |
| Illinois | 163 | 52.2°F | 40.7 in |
| Indiana | 116 | 52.4°F | 43.7 in |
| Kansas | 168 | 54.8°F | 31.2 in |
| Kentucky | 95 | 56.2°F | 50.6 in |
| Louisiana | 91 | 67.3°F | 60.3 in |
| Massachusetts | 68 | 49.2°F | 48.2 in |
| Maryland | 42 | 55.6°F | 45.5 in |
| Maine | 79 | 43.1°F | 46.4 in |
| Michigan | 201 | 45.5°F | 34.2 in |
| Minnesota | 172 | 42.2°F | 30.0 in |
| Missouri | 164 | 55.1°F | 43.9 in |
| Mississippi | 91 | 64.1°F | 59.7 in |
| Montana | 215 | 43.4°F | 15.9 in |
| North Carolina | 178 | 59.1°F | 52.2 in |
| North Dakota | 119 | 41.0°F | 19.2 in |
| Nebraska | 171 | 49.6°F | 25.0 in |
| New Hampshire | 52 | 44.5°F | 46.6 in |
| New Jersey | 45 | 53.6°F | 47.9 in |
| New Mexico | 167 | 54.3°F | 13.8 in |
| Nevada | 115 | 52.4°F | 8.9 in |
| New York | 173 | 47.5°F | 43.7 in |
| Ohio | 128 | 51.6°F | 41.1 in |
| Oklahoma | 159 | 60.3°F | 35.7 in |
| Oregon | 180 | 50.5°F | 37.6 in |
| Pennsylvania | 157 | 50.2°F | 45.2 in |
| Rhode Island | 9 | 51.2°F | 48.7 in |
| South Carolina | 100 | 62.8°F | 49.8 in |
| South Dakota | 149 | 45.6°F | 21.8 in |
| Tennessee | 146 | 58.0°F | 56.0 in |
| Texas | 449 | 66.2°F | 31.1 in |
| Utah | 170 | 49.4°F | 13.9 in |
| Virginia | 119 | 55.8°F | 46.0 in |
| Vermont | 41 | 43.5°F | 43.7 in |
| Washington | 149 | 49.9°F | 40.9 in |
| Wisconsin | 200 | 44.5°F | 34.6 in |
| West Virginia | 99 | 52.3°F | 47.6 in |
| Wyoming | 144 | 43.3°F | 14.0 in |
Derived by PlainClimate from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals · simple averages across each state's varying station-mapped-location cohort · data updated August 2026.
Rhode Island Climate in Context
U.S. land-mean temperature anomaly (NOAA NCEI) tracked against global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP). Paris Agreement 1.5°C and 2.0°C thresholds shown as reference lines. Rhode Island sits within this national warming envelope; individual station-mapped locations below show local readings against this trend.
- United States (incl. Rhode Island) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Station-mapped locations in Rhode Island
9 locations with climate data
Scroll the table to browse every location, or use the complete CSV and JSON exports below.
| Location | Avg Temp | High | Low | Precip | Snow | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coventry | 51°F | 61°F | 40°F | 52.0" | N/A | 56/100 |
| Kingston | 50°F | 59°F | 40°F | 51.3" | N/A | 52/100 |
| N Foster | 49°F | 58°F | 40°F | 53.8" | 62.0" | 44/100 |
| Newport Rose | 52°F | 59°F | 45°F | 47.5" | 26.0" | 63/100 |
| Newport State | 51°F | 59°F | 44°F | 42.2" | N/A | 68/100 |
| Providence T F Green | 52°F | 61°F | 43°F | 47.5" | 36.6" | 63/100 |
| Tiverton | 53°F | 62°F | 44°F | 49.4" | 38.1" | 63/100 |
| Westerly State | 53°F | 61°F | 45°F | 42.8" | N/A | 68/100 |
| Woonsocket | 51°F | 61°F | 41°F | 51.9" | 41.5" | 49/100 |
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 · 1991-2020 Statewide aggregates for Rhode Island computed as the simple average across its 9 station-mapped locations, each represented by its primary NOAA station (23 stations in the state network).
Climate Insight: Rhode Island
Rhode Island's climate profile is aggregated from 9 station-mapped locations and 23 NOAA weather stations reporting under the 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals program. The statewide average annual temperature sits at 51°F, which is the simple average across all tracked station-mapped locations rather than any single station's reading. Because Rhode Island spans multiple latitudes, elevations, and proximities to large water bodies, local conditions can differ from this headline number by wide margins; coastal, valley, and mountain stations often diverge by ten degrees or more even within a single month.
Precipitation and snowfall averages round out the climatological picture. Across Rhode Island, annual precipitation averages 48.7 inches, with typical seasonal snowfall near 40.8 inches statewide. These numbers combine rain, sleet, and snow water-equivalent and describe the thirty-year normal rather than any particular recent year. Readers evaluating a specific destination should drill into one of the 9 individual location profiles below; each station record varies with local geography, and the statewide figures here are averages that mask meaningful intrastate differences.
For planning purposes, the location table above is sorted to help you compare averages side-by-side: annual mean temperature, average daily high and low, precipitation totals, snowfall, and PlainClimate's climate comfort score. That 1–100 score combines temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, snowfall burden, and frost-free growing-season length from each location's NOAA normal. It is a climate-only comparison, not a NOAA or overall livability rating. Use it as a starting point, then open each location profile for the exact score inputs, monthly breakdowns, degree-day totals, frost dates, and separately reported humidity metrics.
Nationwide similar states
Other states closest to Rhode Island on two NOAA statewide-average axes (annual temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest 50-state peers by avg_temp (51°F here).
- Ohio 52°F · 0.4°F off
- Oregon 51°F · 0.7°F off
- Illinois 52°F · 1.0°F off
- Pennsylvania 50°F · 1.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest peers by avg_precip (48.7" here), excluding temperature-peer codes.
- Connecticut 48.6" · 0.1" off
- Hawaii 48.5" · 0.2" off
- Massachusetts 48.2" · 0.5" off
- New Jersey 47.9" · 0.8" off
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Rhode Island? ▼
Does the climate vary a lot within Rhode Island? ▼
Where does Rhode Island rank nationally for temperature? ▼
What is the most comfortable station-mapped location in Rhode Island? ▼
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.