Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to West Warwick

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
West Warwick MemorialPhoto: Marcbela · Public domain
Climate in West Warwick · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

West Warwick gets more rain and snow than 83% of U.S. towns: 50 inches of precipitation a year

Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 82°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 77% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 2.1°, most of all in December. Long walks are most pleasant from May to October, when afternoons reach 63–82°.

More snow than 70% of U.S. towns#18Snowiest  of 46 in RI
Colder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns#21 coldest of 46 in RI
All RI rankings →

A year in West Warwick at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan38°21° 10" snow
Feb40°22° 11" snow
Mar47°29° 6" snow
Apr58°38° Last frost ~Apr 11
May68°47° 1 day 90°+
Jun77°57° 2 days 90°+
Jul82°63° 5 days 90°+
Aug81°61° 3 days 90°+
Sep74°54° 1 day 90°+
Oct63°43° First frost ~Oct 30
Nov now53°34°
Dec43°26° 8" snowWettest

What stands out about West Warwick’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with West Warwick’s place in Rhode Island beside it.

A normal year

What a year in West Warwick feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
40° / 23°
10 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
58° / 38°
Last frost around Apr 11
Summer
80° / 60°
22 days reach 90°
Fall
63° / 44°
First frost around Oct 30
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 199 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by October 30. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Coventry 2, RI, 2.0 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Providence T F Green Airport, 5 miles away.

Short record. NOAA estimated Coventry 2, RI’s counts from 4 years of data and its neighbors’, not a full 30-year record.
135
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
The most of 46 in Rhode Island
More freezing nights than 72% of U.S. towns
2
nights at or below 0°
24th most of 46 in Rhode Island
More nights at or below 0° than 52% of U.S. towns
22
days that reach 90°
The most of 46 in Rhode Island
More 90° days than 53% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
30th fewest of 46 in Rhode Island
Fewer 100° days than 56% of U.S. towns
6bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6b

The 2023 USDA map puts West Warwick’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

26
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

5.1
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 37 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Providence T F Green Airport, is heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 127 days a year.

50"
Rain + melted snow a year
19th wettest of 46 in Rhode Island
Wetter than 83% of U.S. towns
37"
Snow in a normal winter
18th snowiest of 46 in Rhode Island
More snow than 70% of U.S. towns
25 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
29th most of 43 in Rhode Island
More days with snow on the ground than 53% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.9"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

11"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in West Warwick

87% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

5,478 heating degree daysMore heating than 54% of U.S. towns
812 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 59% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Providence T F Green Airport.

Living here

Living with West Warwick’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

199 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 11 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 30.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 1.6 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in West Warwick from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (77%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

West Warwick and its neighbors

Coventry has the coldest January nights next door (19°, 2° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

North Kingstown: January low 23°, July high 81°Portsmouth: January low 23°, July high 81°Barrington: January low 23°, July high 82°East Providence: January low 22°, July high 83°West Greenwich: January low 20°, July high 82°Sterling: January low 19°, July high 82°Scituate: January low 19°, July high 82°Foster: January low 19°, July high 81°Johnston: January low 20°, July high 83°Providence: January low 22°, July high 83°Exeter: January low 20°, July high 82°Warwick: January low 23°, July high 82°Coventry: January low 19°, July high 82°Cranston: January low 20°, July high 83°East Greenwich: January low 21°, July high 82°West Warwick: January low 21°, July high 82°West WarwickWarwickCoventryCranstonEast Greenwich
ColderMilder19° to 23°
Coventry19.3° −1.5°
Cranston20.3° about the same
West Warwick20.8°
East Greenwich21.0° about the same
Warwick22.7° +1.9°

Climates most like West Warwick’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
West Warwick, RI21°82°50"37"
Buckhannon, WV23°83°50"39"
Succasunna, NJ19°83°51"30"
Shamokin, PA19°82°46"34"
Mount Hope, NY17°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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in West Warwick averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).

+2.1°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 93% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.8°now 32°, was 29°
Spring+1.7°now 48°, was 46°
Summer+2.1°now 70°, was 68°
Fall+1.8°now 54°, was 52°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How West Warwick compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with West Warwick’s place among Rhode Island’s.

Summer heat82° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns31st coolest of 46 in Rhode Island
Winter cold21° January low
Colder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns21st coldest of 46 in Rhode Island
Precipitation50" a year
Wetter than 83% of U.S. towns19th wettest of 46 in Rhode Island
Snow37" a winter
More snow than 70% of U.S. towns18th snowiest of 46 in Rhode Island
Hot days22 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 53% of U.S. townsThe most of 46 in Rhode Island
Freezing nights135 a year
More freezing nights than 72% of U.S. townsThe most of 46 in Rhode Island
Growing season199 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 66% of U.S. towns9th longest of 46 in Rhode Island
Month by month

West Warwick weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at West Warwick’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Providence T F Green Airport. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January38°21°4.0"10.3"11820° – 36°
February40°22°3.5"10.5"10818° – 38°
March47°29°4.9"6.4"12432° – 45°
April58°38°4.5"0.6"12044° – 52°
May68°47°3.5"0.0"12052° – 62°
June77°57°4.0"0.0"11064° – 70°
July82°63°3.4"0.0"9069° – 77°
August81°61°4.0"0.0"9068° – 75°
September74°54°4.1"0.0"9061° – 68°
October63°43°4.7"0.2"10050° – 60°
November53°34°4.2"1.0"10139° – 48°
December43°26°4.9"7.6"12428° – 45°
Year60°41°49.7"36.6"12725
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where West Warwick’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 West Warwick’s center.
  • Snow: Providence T F Green Airport.
  • Frost dates, heating and cooling: Providence T F Green Airport, 5 miles away.
  • Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Coventry 2, RI, 2.0 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 West Warwick’s climate

What is the weather like in West Warwick?

A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in West Warwick in winter?

January nights average 21°. About 135 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.

How much snow does West Warwick get?

About 37 inches in a normal winter at Providence T F Green Airport, heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 25 days a year.

How hot does it get in West Warwick?

July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 63°. About 22 days a year reach 90° (Providence T F Green Airport).

When is the first and last frost in West Warwick?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 199 frost-free days, at Providence T F Green Airport.

What growing zone is West Warwick in?

Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.

What is the best time of year to visit West Warwick?

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 West Warwick getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 93% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in West Warwick.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.