Unseasonably Cold Memorial Day Makes Up For RI's May Rain Deficit

PROVIDENCE, RI — May was a rocky month in Rhode Island, ending meteorological spring with a roller coaster of temperatures varying 40 degrees from one week to the next. Despite a record-breaking cold Memorial Day weekend, the month was, overall, warmer than average.

Saturday shattered a more than 100-year-old temperature record for the lowest high temperature, with highs only topping out at 50 degrees. That's 1 degree lower than the previous record of 51 degrees set in 1917, more than five decades before Memorial Day would become a holiday.

Over the three-day weekend, several inches of rain fell across Rhode Island, making up for the rain deficit throughout the rest of May. So much rain fell, in fact, that the state closed out the month above average for rain totals.

According to the National Weather Service, 4.64 inches of rain fell in Providence in May, more than an inch more than the average of 3.37 inches.

June 1 also marks the end of meteorological spring, which was marked below-average precipitation and higher-than-average temperatures in Rhode Island throughout March, April and May.

The mean temperature over the three-month period was 50.5 degrees, slightly higher than the average of 49.1 degrees. About an inch less total precipitation was recorded over that period, as well, with essentially no snowfall recorded in the state throughout the spring and below-average rainfall.

Overall, spring 2021 was the 20th warmest and tied for the least-snowiest on record, the NWS said.

Heading into the new month, Rhode Island is on a warming trend, with summerlike temperatures in the forecast by the end of the week. Here's a look at the latest forecast from the Naitonal Weather Service.

Tuesday
Partly sunny, with a high near 75. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph.

Tuesday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Southwest wind 5 to 7 mph.

Wednesday
Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Light southwest wind becoming south 6 to 11 mph in the morning.

Wednesday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. South wind 3 to 8 mph.

Thursday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 10 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. South wind 6 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.

Thursday Night
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before midnight, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 61. Southwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Friday
A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Southwest wind 10 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.

Friday Night
A chance of showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Southwest wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.

Saturday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Southwest wind 8 to 14 mph.

Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. Southwest wind 9 to 11 mph.

Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Southwest wind 9 to 13 mph.

Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. Southwest wind 7 to 11 mph.