Rhode Island, 2017

Strong Wind in Rhode Island, October 24 to 25, 2017

October 24 to 25, 2017 · NWS BOX · 2 events in 1 county or zone

Low pressure moved north through the Great Lakes. This swung a cold front slowly east into Southern New England on October 25.

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
$4,000
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 moved north through the Great Lakes. This swung a cold front slowly east into Southern New England on October 25. The front stalled over the region during the 25th before moving off to the east on the 26th. Strong low level winds brought a flow of tropical moisture ahead of the front. The strong winds aloft were brought to the surface in damaging wind gusts, with speeds reaching 45 to 55 mph. The tropical moisture was converted to heavy downpours, with storm rainfall totals ranging from 2 inches to 6 1/2 inches. This brought widespread urban and poor drainage flooding.

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 24, 2:27 PM EST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 24, 2:27 PM EST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 24, 3:19 PM EST, 28 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 24, 10:07 AM EST, 5 hours 40 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 24, 11:58 AM EST, 3 hours 49 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 24, 12:29 PM EST, 3 hours 18 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 24, 1:27 PM EST, 2 hours 20 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 24, 2:51 PM EST, 56 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 24, 3:40 PM EST, 7 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 24, 3:47 PM EST
Where
Northwest Providence forecast zone
Measured
43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$3,000
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
41.871, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tree down on Luther Road in Foster. Tree down on wires on Isthmus Road.

Strong Wind, Northwest Providence

When
October 25, 9:30 AM EST
Where
Northwest Providence forecast zone
Measured
43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
41.871, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 930 AM EST, a tree was brought down on U.S. Route 6, the Danielson Pike.

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 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Rhode Island, October 2017

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 722150, 722565.