Rain, rain go away? RI's 2024 is one of the wettest years on record so far.
PROVIDENCE − The Providence area just had its second-rainiest first quarter of a year on record, according to National Weather Service records.
The Providence area had 23.85 inches of rain in the first three months of the year, second only to the 24.18 inches that fell from January through March in 2010, a year that brought widespread flooding to the Ocean State. The records go back to 1905.
The 2024 rain totals were driven by March, which had 12.05 inches, and January, which had 9.33 inches. March of this year was second only to March of 2010, which had 16.34 inches. January was second to January of 1979, which had 11.66 inches.
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February was drier than normal, with just 2.47 inches of rain. Normal rainfall for the month is 3.44 inches.
Meteorologists expect a wet and warm spring
March marked the first month of meteorological spring, and it was both wetter and warmer than normal, as meteorologists have forecast for the season as a whole.
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With an average temperature of 43.2 degrees, March was 4.3 degrees above the normal temperature of 38.9 degrees, according to National Weather Service records. The Providence area has had only 11 warmer months of March since 1905.
It looks like Southern New England will have to wait at least a few more days to put away the umbrellas. The weather service says a storm Wednesday into Thursday has the potential to bring heavy rain, but forecasters are seeing a potential shift of the weather pattern to drier conditions in April.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Here's how it ranks: 2024 is one of the rainiest on record
