Rhode Island Cities and Towns
The Ocean State  13th State

Climate & Weather:

Rhode Island weather is erratic and hard to predict. Temperatures, rainfall, even changes in foliage don't seem to like regularity. In general, the bay and coastal areas are cooler in summer and warmer in winter compared with the inland regions. At all times of year, the weather will probably change every two or three days, though it does go through extended wet and dry spells during some years.

June temperatures tend to be in the 53-76 F/12-24 C range. There are some 90+ F/32+ C days, mostly in the cities and inland in July, but the afternoon sea breeze keeps most summer highs in the low 80s F/27 C. Wet days can seem chilly. September and October are generally clear, with highs in the mid 60s to mid 70s F/17-23 C. Peak leaf peeping usually occurs around Columbus Day, or slightly after.) Winter is wet, sometimes snowy, sometimes icy and chilly (18 to 37 F/-8 to -3 C).

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Firsts, Facts, Trivia:  

The first traffic law was created in 1678, when authorities banned galloping horses on local streets in Newport.  In 1904, the first speeding ticket was also given in Newport.

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Featured Tourist Spots:

Smith's Castle - Smith's Castle is an award-winning historic site, providing an opportunity for adults and children to experience nearly four centuries of Rhode Island history. The castle and grounds provide an up-close look at plantation life in Rhode Island in the 1700's.

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Rhode Island History:

From its beginnings, Rhode Island has been distinguished by its support for freedom of conscience and action, started by Roger Williams, who was exiled by the Massachusetts Bay Colony Puritans in 1636, and was the founder of the present state capital, Providence. Williams was followed by other religious exiles who founded Pocasset, now Portsmouth, in 1638 and Newport in 1639.
Rhode Island's rebellious, authority-defying nature was further demonstrated by the burnings of the British revenue cutters Liberty and Gaspee prior to the Revolution, by its early declaration of independence from Great Britain in May 1776, its refusal to participate actively in the War of 1812, and by Dorr's Rebellion of 1842, which protested property requirements for voting.
Rhode Island, smallest of the fifty states, is densely populated and highly industrialized.

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