February RI Weather Outlook: Balmy, Dry Month To Contrast Rainy January

RHODE ISLAND — After the second-rainiest January ever recorded in Rhode Island, things are looking a bit brighter and more spring-like in the month ahead.

February is expected to be warmer and drier than usual in Rhode Island, according to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center.

A large swath of the country extending from Idaho into the Northeast and mid-Atlantic is expected to see above-average temperatures. This includes New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New England region.

Things are looking seasonable in the short term, with temperatures rising into the 40s on Thursday and Friday before a sunny and chilly weekend with highs in the upper 30s. After a series of storms that most trended more wet than white — with plenty of cloudy days in between — it is also shaping up as a quiet stretch of weather, with no major storms expected over the next eight to 12 days.

The Northeast also expects to see slightly below-average precipitation next month, the report said, while much of the Midwest, including the Chicago area, expects to see far below-average precipitation.

The Southwest could see more snow than usual, as well.

“Snowier-than-average conditions in California and parts of the Southwest are expected in strong El Niño winters like we’ve seen this year,” the report said.

The Southeast was also expected to see a cooler-than-usual February, with slightly above-average precipitation.

Additionally, much of the central United States, including the Midwest and Plains, are also expected to see warmer-than-average temperatures next month, the report said.

“Warmer-than-average temperatures are most likely in the Midwest, Plains: An area from far eastern Montana to northern Michigan has the highest likelihood of far-above-average temperatures this February,” the report said, noting that the last half of the month could see temperatures cool off.

The forecast comes after states such as Minnesota saw daily record highs. The Twin Cities reached 50 degrees on Monday.

Others such as New Jersey are bracing for a possible major snowstorm in the back half of February.

“That said, February is the most likely month for our region to get a major snowstorm, so stay tuned,” the National Weather Service’s Mount Holly Station said.