Heavy Snow in Rhode Island, February 27 to 28, 2023

Name: Heavy Snow in Rhode Island, February 27 to 28, 2023
Start: 2023-02-27T22:00
End: 2023-02-28T10:00
Location: Rhode Island

February 27 to 28, 2023 · NWS BOX · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A potent mid level low/shortwave deamplified as it moved east-southeast from the Ohio Valley late on the 27th and early on the 28th. then moved east, passing well south of southern New England.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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.

A potent mid level low/shortwave deamplified as it moved east-southeast from the Ohio Valley late on the 27th and early on the 28th. At the surface, while the parent low lifted across the Great Lakes, a secondary low developed over DelMarVa in response to height falls from approaching trough...then moved east, passing well south of southern New England. The result was a northwest-to-southeast oriented band of heavy snow from western MA to northern and eastern CT to southern RI. Six to nine inches of snow fell in those regions. There was a very sharp cutoff to the northeast, with only one to two inches falling in northeastern MA and Cape Cod.

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 Feb 27, 4:04 PM EST, 5 hours 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 27, 4:04 PM EST, 5 hours 56 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 27, 4:08 PM EST, 5 hours 52 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

5 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Northwest Providence

When: February 27, 10:00 PM EST to February 28, 10:00 AM EST
Where: Northwest Providence forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 41.871, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall in northwest Providence County generally ranged from 5.5 to 7.0 inches, with the highest amounts in the higher terrain. Some specific amounts included: 7.0 inches in Foster; 6.3 inches in Glocester; 6.0 inches in Burrillville; and 5.5 inches in Smithfield.

Heavy Snow, Western Kent

When: February 27, 10:00 PM EST to February 28, 10:00 AM EST
Where: Western Kent forecast zone
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 41.673, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall generally ranged from 6 to 8 inches in western Kent County. Some specific amounts included 8.3 inches in West Greenwich and 6.3 inches in West Warwick.

Heavy Snow, Eastern Kent

When: February 27, 10:00 PM EST to February 28, 10:00 AM EST
Where: Eastern Kent forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 41.673, -71.579 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals in eastern Kent County included: 5.7 inches in East Greenwich and 5.2 inches at T.F. Green Airport in Warwick. A CoCoRaHS observer 3 miles NNE of Warwick reported 4.5 inches.

Heavy Snow, Washington

When: February 27, 10:00 PM EST to February 28, 10:00 AM EST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 41.397, -71.620 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals in Washington County generally ranged from 5 to 8 inches. Some specific amounts included: 8.1 inches in South Kingstown; 7.5 inches in both North Kingstown and Richmond; 6.0 inches in both Charlestown and Exeter; and 5.4 inches in Westerly.

Heavy Snow, Newport

When: February 27, 11:00 PM EST to February 28, 10:00 AM EST
Where: Newport forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 41.500, -71.281 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts in Newport County ranged from 4.0 to 6.5 inches. Some specific amounts included: 6.5 inches in Portsmouth; 6.2 inches in Little Compton; 6.0 inches at the Newport Airport; 5.0 inches in both Middletown and Tiverton; and 4.0 inches in Jamestown.

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Rhode Island in 2023 Every state in 2023 This day in weather history Warnings in Rhode Island, February 2023

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: 1081650, 1081651, 1081652, 1081653, 1081654.