![]() ![]() The number of days with minimum temperature of 0° F or below averages one or less per year in the Bay and coastal areas. The average daily minimum temperature in January and February is 19 to 20 over about two- thirds of the State, increasing to near 25° F in immediate coastal sections. Here the annual mean temperature is not more than 48° F, making the section as cool as the cooler areas of the northwest interior. Southwestern Rhode Island, from four to 10 miles inland, exhibits a coolness not suggested by the nearness to the ocean or the general elevation of 50 to 150 feet. Temperature - The mean annual temperature ranges from 48 degrees Fahrenheit (° F) except near the south shore, Narragansett Bay, and in the large built-up area around Providence, where it is 51 degrees. Hence, weather averages in Rhode Island are not very useful for important planning purposes and should be supplemented by more detailed climate data. It is composed of a large variety of weather patterns. A “normal” month, season, or year is the exception rather than the rule.Īs shown, the basic climate does not result from the predominance of any single controlling weather regime. That is, the same month or season will exhibit varying characteristics over the years, sometimes in close alternation and sometimes arranged in similar groups for successive years. ![]() Changeability is also one of its features on a longer time scale. There is no regular or persistent rhythm to this sequence, and it is sometimes interrupted by periods of several days, or infrequently of a few weeks with the same weather pattern.ĭay-to-day variety rather than monotony is the main feature of Rhode Island’s weather. The procession of contrasting air masses and the relatively frequent passage of “Lows” bring about a roughly twice-weekly alternation from fair to cloudy or stormy weather, usually attended by abrupt changes in temperature, moisture, sunshine, wind direction and speed. A large number of these systems and air mass fronts pass near or over Rhode Island in a year. Embedded in this circulation are extensive masses of air originating in higher and lower latitudes and interacting to produce storm systems. Rhode Island lies in the “prevailing westerlies”, the belt of generally eastward air movement which encircles the globe in middle latitudes. These characteristics are modified by nearness to the Bay or ocean, elevation and nature of the terrain. The chief characteristics of Rhode Island’s climate may be summarized as follows: (1) equitable distribution of precipitation among the four seasons (2) large ranges of temperature both daily and annually (3) great differences in the same season of different years and (4) considerable diversity of the weather over short time periods. A number of smaller rivers or brooks that originate in the western uplands of the State or in southeastern Massachusetts, empty into Narragansett Bay or Long Island Sound. The Blackstone River in the northeast is the principal river. ![]() The shore line facing Long Island Sound is more than 25 miles from the ocean. The Bay contains several islands of which the one known as Aquidneck, or Rhode Island, is the largest. Narragansett Bay has a very irregular shoreline, indented by numerous small bays or coves and the mouths of the Taunton and Blackstone rivers. The western two-thirds of Rhode Island consist of predominantly hilly uplands of mostly 200 to 600 feet elevation but rising to a maximum of 800 feet above sea level in the northwest corner of the State. A second division lies to the north and east of the Bay with gently rolling uplands of up to 200 feet elevation. A narrow coastal plain lies along the south shore and Narragansett Bay with an elevation of less than 100 feet. There are three topographical divisions of the State. The total area, including Block Island some 10 miles offshore, is 1,214 square miles. The State extends for 50 miles in a north-south direction and has an average width of about 30 miles. ![]() Topographic features - Rhode Island, the smallest of states, shares the southeastern corner of New England with a portion of Massachusetts. Land Revitalization and Sustainable Materials Management.Civil Rights, Non-Discrimination, and Accessibility. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |