It’s May, are you ready for some nice weather?
April went into the weather record books as another wet, cold and snowy month, almost a repeat of March. Both months saw temperatures average 5 degrees below normal. Rainfall for April was almost 6 inches just about 2 inches above normal. The most interesting weather in April was the snow. Eleven days with snowflakes in the lower elevations and in the mountains it snowed again this past Sunday making for 12 days with snow.
May is usually a pleasant month with the winds of winter having retreated northward and the heat of summer still just a bit south. Longer days and strengthening sunshine bring forth an explosion of spring growth, as bushes, shrubs and trees begin their bloom. White Dogwood trees mixed with the purple rhododendron shrubs and then the pink and white mountain laurel keep adding a continuous splash color as the month progresses
May sees afternoon temperatures start out at 70 degrees for the first days of the month and climb to 77 by month’s end. Mornings begin near 44 degrees and end up near 53 by the May 30 of the month. Records for the month are 93 and 23 degrees. Freezing temperatures can occur on any day in May but are highly unlikely in urban areas after the May 15. In outlying areas and in the mountains the safe planting date is usually May 30. The latest cold air in the mountains was a reading of 31 degrees on June 11 which is a rare once in 50-year event.
Snowflakes in May are rare; however, on May 10, 1954, one half inch of snow was measured in Uniontown and 3 inches in Pittsburgh. Records in Pittsburgh also show one half inch on May 15, 1925 and a few flakes as late as the May 30 in 1953.
The long range forecast from the Climate Prediction Center calls for temperatures in May to average near normal and rainfall to be a bit below our normal for the month, which is 3.59 inches. Sunshine is possible about 50 percent of the time in May. Enjoy the nice weather.