Introduction to Climate Change

Rhode Island will continue to experience warmer air temperatures, including more record-breaking temperatures in all seasons. Since the start of the 20th century, average temperatures have risen over 4 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter temperatures are rising faster than summer temperatures, likely attributed to a warmer North Atlantic Ocean. Notably, Rhode Island’s three warmest winters have all occurred since 2000, while the three coldest winters all occurred before 1980. This trend is projected to continue throughout the Northeast U.S.

Rhode Island’s lakes, rivers, bays, and offshore waters will continue to see rises in temperature. Since 1960, Narragansett Bay has warmed 3.0 degrees Fahrenheit according to the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program. Resultingly, the ecology of inland and coastal waterbodies will change in response to warmer temperatures. Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs will become more vulnerable to invasive species and toxic algae blooms, including cyanobacteria. As coastal waters warm, legacy species such as the American Lobster depart for colder water and Mid-Atlantic species such as the Black Sea Bass migrate into New England.

As with the entire Northeast, Rhode Island is already experiencing more intense and frequent rainfall events that cause urban and riverine flooding. According to the Fifth National Climate Assessment, extreme precipitation events have increased 60% in the Northeast since 1958, the largest increase anywhere in the U.S. Five of the top 10 wettest years in Rhode Island have occurred since 2000, with 2023 recording 57.66” of precipitation, the sixth highest amount since 1904. Urban and low-lying areas with poor drainage are particularly vulnerable to flooding that occurs with heavy precipitation events. As the global climate continues to warm, Rhode Island is expected to see more frequent and intense precipitation events.

Along Rhode Island’s 400 miles of coastline, sea levels are rising faster than the global average. In Newport, sea levels have risen 10” since 1930. Low-lying coastal areas along Narragansett Bay and Mount Hope Bay are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise and saltwater inundation. As glaciers and ice sheets melt around the world in response to warmer temperatures, sea level rise will continue to impact Rhode Island’s coastlines. By 2100, sea levels along Rhode Island’s coastline are projected to rise another 12” – 48”. As coastal storms become stronger in response to warmer ocean temperatures, higher sea levels will result in more intensive erosion along barrier beaches and shorelines.

Since the early 20th century, the Providence area has observed a slight increase in annual snowfall. Some of the region’s blockbuster snowstorms have occurred since the new millennium, with 2015 and 2005 the second and third snowiest years on record, respectively. This trend is attributed to the greater abundance of water vapor in the atmosphere around southern New England, a product of warmer ocean temperatures due to climate change. As air temperatures continue to warm and Rhode Island’s climate shifts towards that of the Mid-Atlantic region, annual snowfall is projected to decrease.