The 5 Coldest Places in Rhode Island Will Chill You to Your Core

Winters can be gorgeous in the United States. Depending on where in the state you live, you can experience winter wonderlands. Of course, the charm is the beauty you are surrounded with, but the reality is that these places get extremely cold. There are places in Iowa, New Mexico, and Minnesota that get frighteningly cold. When it comes to Rhode Island, places are so cold, that you will be frozen solid. Let’s take a look at the five coldest places in Rhode Island that will chill you to your core.

North Foster

Located in northern Rhode Island, North Foster is a town within Providence County. It has a population of 4,469 people and it was first settled by the English in the 1660s. The town has an oceanic type of climate, which means that summers are quite mild and winters are very cold. The average temperature for the winter can range from 25 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. The record low in Foster was -13 degrees Fahrenheit, which happened in January.

North Foster has consistently been the coldest city in the state, based on the average weather. The average temperature in North Foster is 43.4 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year, including summer. The town gets consistent snowfall and rainfall, averaging around 4 inches of precipitation during the winter months (but also consistently throughout the year).

Greene

Rhode Island is a small state, so the weather doesn’t fluctuate that much. But sometimes, there are differences in weather, depending on where you are. Greene is a village that is part of the town of Coventry in central Rhode Island. It has a population of 888 people and was named after a general in the American Revolution, Nathanael Greene. Greene, RI, was the site of the coldest temperature ever recorded in Rhode Island. On February 5, 1996, Greene boasted a negative 25 degrees Fahrenheit. When it comes to averages, the village has average temperatures of 22 to 34 degrees Fahrenheit. January is the coldest month of the year, followed by December and February.

Wood River Junction

The village of Wood River Junction is located in Richmond, within the county of Washington in southern Rhode Island. The area is quite popular for fishing and there were potato farms but those are no longer there because of a nuclear accident in 1964. Wood River Junction experienced the coldest weather in February 1979, but it has always been colder than the rest of the state. January is by far the coldest month with a high of 39 degrees Fahrenheit and a low of 21 degrees Fahrenheit. The second-coldest month is usually February, followed by December.

Richmond

This list cannot be complete without including Richmond, RI. Why, you ask? Well, because Richmond was the site of the coldest temperature ever recorded. On January 17, 1942, there was a reading of -28 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, Greene recorded a -25 degrees Fahrenheit in 1996 and that is considered the official coldest temperature because TF Greene International Airport is where those official temperatures are recorded. Richmond also had the wind factor problem, which made it much colder. Usually, the temperatures in Richmond aren’t that low. The average temperatures in January are roughly between 34 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 17 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Once February arrives, things do get a little warmer.

Warwick

Located in central-east Rhode Island, Warwick is a city in Kent County and is the third largest city. It has a population of 82,000 and it was founded by Samuel Gordon in 1642. Warwick is quite close to Greene and many of the temperatures that are recorded in Greene are also part of what Warwick experiences as well. So, much of the same weather will be the same.

When it comes to snowfall, Warwick experiences 36 inches of snowfall per year. The highest amount of snowfall comes in February with a whopping 10.5 inches of snow. January comes in second at 10.3 inches, followed by December.

Conclusion

And there you have it, these are the five coldest places in Rhode Island that will chill you to your core. These places are just downright cold and they have even been freezing or below freezing. It’s part of the charm of these places, after all, Rhode Island is in the top half of the coldest states in the country. It’s located in the northeast and moving here, you have to deal with it every winter. Of course, if you ever visit, you have to be prepared. Bring thick jackets and extra layers to make sure your stay in the five coldest places in Rhode Island is as warm as possible.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Veronica Bruno