March Was Warmer, Drier Than Average In Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, RI — Last month was slightly warmer and drier than average in Rhode Island, according to newly released data from the National Weather Service.

The average temperature in March was 42.1 degrees, slightly higher than the 30-year average of 38.9 degrees. It was the 12th-warmest March on record, NWS said, well below the record high average of 48.4 degrees set in 1946.

Precipitation in general — both snow and rain — were down slightly over the last month, as well. Snow in particular was only about half of what would be expected: 3.4 inches, while the average is 6.4. On average, Providence will see about five inches of rain in March, while last month only had 3.55 inches.

While March 18 had the unseasonable high of 70 degrees, it was nowhere near the record-high 90 degrees recorded in March 1945. On the other end of the spectrum, the chilly low temperature of 17 degrees on March 4 was positively balmy compared to the single-degree lows recorded across several years, NWS said.