Wakefield-Peace Dale has cooler summers than 86% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 22°. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 73% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 2.4° rise. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Wakefield-Peace Dale at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wakefield-Peace Dale’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wakefield-Peace Dale’s place in Rhode Island beside it.
What a year in Wakefield-Peace Dale feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 159 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Kingston, RI, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wakefield-Peace Dale’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 35 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Kingston, RI, is heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; March is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 128 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wakefield-Peace Dale
89% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Kingston, RI.
Living with Wakefield-Peace Dale’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
159 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 3 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 8.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wakefield-Peace Dale from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wakefield-Peace Dale and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Wakefield-Peace Dale in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Wakefield-Peace Dale’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wakefield-Peace Dale, RI | 22° | 81° | 48" | 35" |
| Shamokin, PA | 19° | 82° | 46" | 34" |
| Bluefield, WV | 23° | 81° | 42" | 40" |
| Lake Mohawk, NJ | 18° | 83° | 49" | 28" |
| Mount Hope, NY | 17° | 82° | 47" | 43" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Wakefield-Peace Dale averaged 2.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.9°).
A bigger shift than in all but 171 U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Wakefield-Peace Dale compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wakefield-Peace Dale’s place among Rhode Island’s.
Wakefield-Peace Dale weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wakefield-Peace Dale’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Kingston, RI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 22° | 3.8" | 10.0" | 11 | 10 | 22° – 37° |
| February | 40° | 23° | 3.4" | 9.9" | 9 | 9 | 19° – 38° |
| March | 47° | 29° | 4.9" | 6.2" | 10 | 5 | 33° – 45° |
| April | 57° | 38° | 4.4" | 1.1" | 12 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| May | 67° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 57° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 63° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 80° | 62° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| September | 74° | 55° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 45° | 4.6" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 53° | 36° | 4.0" | 0.6" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 49° |
| December | 44° | 28° | 4.7" | 6.6" | 11 | 5 | 29° – 47° |
| Year | 60° | 42° | 47.5" | 34.5" | 128 | 30 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Wakefield-Peace Dale’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Wakefield-Peace Dale’s center.
- Snow: Kingston, RI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kingston, RI, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Wakefield-Peace Dale’s climate
What is the weather like in Wakefield-Peace Dale?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wakefield-Peace Dale in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 128 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Wakefield-Peace Dale get?
About 35 inches in a normal winter at Kingston, RI, heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 30 days a year.
How hot does it get in Wakefield-Peace Dale?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 63°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Kingston, RI).
When is the first and last frost in Wakefield-Peace Dale?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 159 frost-free days, at Kingston, RI.
What growing zone is Wakefield-Peace Dale in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wakefield-Peace Dale?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Wakefield-Peace Dale getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 171 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wakefield-Peace Dale.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.