May 2023

[JerseyWx]

2 hours ago, BxEngine said:

we had one in the summer in the early 2000s from fires in canada too. Just now it was strong enough that it smelled like the neighbors house was on fire.

I can't remember if it was 2020 or 2021 but it was during the middle of one of our hot and humid periods of summer that we had some pretty thick smoke here too.  It was already HHH kind of weather, then the smoke made it worse.

[LongBeachSurfFreak]

9 hours ago, forkyfork said:

2002 duh

Yeah that was very impressive. It also was during the summer heat so it just tagged on to our normal ozone issues. At least this ones coming from what is normally one of our best airmass generation areas so it’s all just natural wood smoke. 

[CIK62]

The last day of May is averaging   69degs.(56/82) or Normal.

Month to date is    62.6[-0.5].      May should end at    62.8[-0.4].

Reached  72 here yesterday.

Today:   71-76, wind e. to s., p. sunny, 60 tomorrow AM.

56*(78%RH) here at 7am{ was 55 at 6am}.     57* at 8am.      59* at 9pm.      61* at Noon.       70* at 4pm.     Reached 73* at 7pm.

[SACRUS]

 

A bit warmer today mid / upper 70s before back into the 80s to open the month Thu (6/1) and some stray 90 degree readings Fri (6/2) before a sharp change as strong NE flow pushes backdoor front through on Sat (6/3).  Sat may stay in the low 60s or lower with clouds and drizzle (ugly day).  Sun (6/4) perhaps a bit to clear out and remaining cool.

 

Trough builds down next week ECM a bit flatter, GFS cuts off low and spins waves around it with rain chances next Tue - Wed (6/7).  

Beyond there heights are rising by the 9th and warmer push into the area.  ECM much more robust on potential above normal, GFS closer to normal till md month.

 

 

[SACRUS]

 

Records:

Highs:

EWR: 98 (2022) - hot one a year ago
NYC: 96 (1939)
LGA: 96 (1987) '87 a very warm May overall


Lows:

EWR: 44 (1938)
NYC: 46 (1938)
LGA: 50 (2021)

Historical:

 

1830: Shelbyville, Tennessee was turned into "a heap of ruins" as a tornado moved east through the center of the town. This tornado destroyed 15 homes and 38 businesses along with churches and other public buildings. Losses were estimated to be as high as $100,000. A book was said to be carried seven miles away.

1889 - The Johnstown disaster occurred, the worst flood tragedy in U.S. history. Heavy rains collapsed the South Fork Dam sending a thirty foot wall of water rushing down the already flooded Conemaugh Valley. The wall of water, traveling as fast as twenty-two feet per second, swept away all structures, objects and people. 2100 persons perished in the flood. (David Ludlum)

1941 - Thunderstorms deluged Burlington KS with 12.59 inches of rain to establish a 24 hour rainfall record for the state. (The Weather Channel)

1985 - Severe thuunderstorms spawned forty-one tornadoes across the Lower Great Lakes Region and southeastern Ontario which killed 74 persons. (Storm Data)

1987 - Thunderstorms in New England produced wind gusts up to 90 mph at Worcester, MA, and Northboro, MA, and hail an inch and a half in diameter at Williston, VT. Unseasonably hot weather prevailed in the northeastern U.S. The afternoon high of 94 degrees at Portland, ME, was a record for the month of May. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1988 - Hot and humid weather prevailed in the eastern U.S. Thirteen cities reported record high temperatures for the date. Cape Hatteras, NC, reported their first ninety degree day in May in 115 years of records. "Dust buster" thunderstorms in northwest Texas drenched Amarillo with more than three inches of rain. (The National Weather Summary)

1989 - Thunderstorms produced severe weather and torrential rains in northern Indiana, northern Ohio and southern Lower Michigan. Saint John IND was drenched with four inches of rain in two hours, and Woodland MI was deluged with two inches in twenty minutes. Pittsburgh PA reported a record 6.55 inches of rain for the month of May, with measurable rain reported on twenty-five days during the month. (The National Weather Summary)

1990 - Afternoon and evening thunderstorms developing along a warm front produced severe weather from northwest Texas to southeastern Louisiana. The thunderstorms spawned sixteen tornadoes, including thirteen in northwest Texas. One tornado hit the town of Spearman, TX, causing more than a million dollars damage, and seven other tornadoes were reported within twenty-five miles of Spearman. Thunderstorms over northwest Texas also produced baseball size hail at Monahans, and wind gusts to 80 mph at Paducah. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

 

2013: The 2nd of the top 10 weather events for 2013 was EL Reno, Oklahoma tornado of May 31, 2013. Part of the multi-day storm outbreak caused $2 billion in damage. The EF3 that traveled through the western suburbs of Oklahoma City was the largest tornado ever observed with a width of 2.6 miles. It took eight lives including four tornado chasers.

[nycwinter]

the smoke thing was minor not as bad as i expected for the city..

[SACRUS]

71/41 gorgeous california style weather.

[Stormlover74]

This has been a remarkably average month of May temp wise. A little bit of heat,  a few cool days but mostly sunny dry seasonable weather. Usually we end up with quite a few raw damp days but only a couple this year 

[JerseyWx]

27 minutes ago, Stormlover74 said:

This has been a remarkably average month of May temp wise. A little bit of heat,  a few cool days but mostly sunny dry seasonable weather. Usually we end up with quite a few raw damp days but only a couple this year 

While we need the rain, this weather has been incredible.  Not sure how anyone can't like it.  Beautiful dry days that aren't humid.

[Stormlover74]

3 minutes ago, JerseyWx said:

While we need the rain, this weather has been incredible.  Not sure how anyone can't like it.  Beautiful dry days that aren't humid.

It's been perfect. We're going to pay with either heat or a wet stretch

[ILoveWinter]

6 hours ago, nycwinter said:

the smoke thing was minor not as bad as i expected for the city..

Yea I didn't notice it much 

[Roger Smith]

If May ends with 1.28" rain it will be 13th driest of 155 (1869-2023) at NYC, the top 20 dry Mays are:

Rank ___ Year ____ Prec 

_01 ____ 1887 ____ 0.34

_02 ____ 1903 ____ 0.50

_03 ____ 1964 ____ 0.57

_04 ____ 1880 ____ 0.62

_05 ____ 1905 ____ 0.72

_06 ____ 1939 ____ 0.89

_07 ____ 1877 ____ 0.95

_08 ____ 1935 ____ 1.05

_09 ____ 1899 ____ 1.09

_10 ____ 1944 ____ 1.18

_11 ____ 1911 _____ 1.25

_12 ____ 1962 ____ 1.26

_13? ___ 2023 ____ 1.28

_t14 _ 1875, 1959 _ 1.33

_16 ____ 1902 ____ 1.35

_17 ____ 1987 ____ 1.45

_18 ____ 1909 ____ 1.47

_19 ____ 2005 ____ 1.48

_20 ____ 1910 ____ 1.49

(21) ____ 1993 ____ 1.56

Median value (rank 78) is 3.56"

[wishcast_hater]

1 hour ago, ILoveWinter said:

Yea I didn't notice it much 

My commute from Manhattan yesterday was pretty surreal.  The haze/smoke was very noticeable and there was definitely a burning smell in the air.  Most noticeable was northern Westchester into Putnam County.

[donsutherland1]

Fair and warm conditions prevailed throughout much of the Middle Atlantic region. New York City finished with a monthly mean temperature of 62.7°, which was 0.5° below normal.

Across northern Maine, New Brunswick, and Quebec, record-breaking heat was the story. Record highs included: Caribou: 91°; Miramichi, NB: 92°; and, Sept-Îles, QC: 87° (May monthly record).

June will start with above normal temperatures, but a trough will likely develop leading to a return of cooler conditions shortly afterward. Some of the models show a fairly impressive cold shot for early June.

The latest ECMWF weeklies suggest that sustained warmer than normal conditions could develop during or after the second week of June.

The ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly was +2.0°C and the Region 3.4 anomaly was +0.4°C for the week centered around May 24. For the past six weeks, the ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly has averaged +2.28°C and the ENSO Region 3.4 anomaly has averaged +0.42°C. El Niño conditions will very likely develop during the summer.

The SOI was -29.32 today.

The preliminary Arctic Oscillation (AO) was +0.664 today.

On May 29 the MJO was in Phase 8 at an amplitude of 1.358 (RMM). The May 28-adjusted amplitude was 1.647 (RMM).

 

[donsutherland1]

Harrisburg (0.19”), Philadelphia (0.24”), Reading (0.09”), and Wilmington, DE (0.20”) are concluding their driest Spring month on record.

[Picard]

Wow, Harrisburg, Reading.  Those low rainfall totals can't be good at all for the farming industry out that way.

These temps along with the low humidity have been amazing.  Too amazing.  The best part is the diurnal swings.  House gets a little hot during the afternoon, then open all windows and have the house chilly by morning.  Rinse wash and repeat.   Walpack NJ today low of 35 and high of 84.  Up the road in Sandyston, NJ was 39/84.  I had 42/81 on the dial here.

 

[SACRUS]

5/31

TEB: 80
PHL: 80
TTN: 79
EWR: 78
New Brnswck: 77
NYC: 77
ACY: 74
LGA: 74
ISP: 74
BLM: 71
JFK: 70

[bch2014]

All major OKX climo sites finished May BN on temps except EWR (+0.2).

[MANDA]

The below normal months are barely below and the above normal months are well above.

 

[etudiant]

9 hours ago, MANDA said:

The below normal months are barely below and the above normal months are well above.

 

Also, the May normals used are from the more recent 30 years, so elevated from the earlier averages.

May seemed warm and dry here in NYC, certainly more pleasant weather than in most recent Mays.