Rhode Island, 2016

Strong Wind in Rhode Island, October 23, 2016

October 23, 2016 · NWS BOX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Low pressure over northern New England, combined with a strong upper level disturbance sweeping across New England, ushered in colder air and strong to damaging wind gusts across across Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$800
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS BOX wrote it up.

Low pressure over northern New England, combined with a strong upper level disturbance sweeping across New England, ushered in colder air and strong to damaging wind gusts across across Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Boston/Norton, MA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 22, 8:59 PM EST, 3 hours 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 22, 8:59 PM EST, 3 hours 31 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 22, 10:19 AM EST, 14 hours 11 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 22, 9:17 PM EST, 3 hours 13 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 22, 10:35 PM EST, 1 hour 55 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Northwest Providence

When
October 23, 12:30 AM EST to 4:00 AM EST
Where
Northwest Providence forecast zone
Measured
36 kt (41 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$300
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
41.871, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A tree was reported down on Flat Street in Cumberland. Not too far to the southeast, a peak wind gust of 42 mph was reported at T.F. Green Airport in Cumberland, RI.

Strong Wind, Newport

When
October 23, 3:16 AM EST to 10:51 AM EST
Where
Newport forecast zone
Measured
42 kt (48 mph) measured gust
Property damage
$500
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
41.500, -71.281 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Amateur radio operators reported a peak wind gust to 48 mph at 416 AM EDT. A tree and wires were reported down in Middletown, RI at 1151 AM EDT.

What these are

Strong Wind
Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Rhode Island in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Rhode Island, October 2016

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 663472, 663466.