The Middle of May

May 1-15 average temperatures ranged from 2°F below normal to 6°F above normal.

The first half of May featured near- or above-normal temperatures for a majority of the Northeast, with the warmest locations in places like upstate New York, western Pennsylvania, and West Virginia being 4°F to 6°F above normal. The coolest spots were located along the coast from New Jersey to Maine, with temperatures as much as 2°F below normal. At the Northeast’s 35 major climate sites, May 1-15 average temperatures ranged from 1.8°F below normal in Portland, ME, to 5.3°F above normal in Buffalo, NY, with 27 of the sites being on the warm side of normal. In fact, this May 1-15 period ranked among the 20 warmest on record for 15 major climate sites.

This May 1-15 period ranked among the 20 warmest on record for 15 major climate sites.

May 1-15 precipitation ranged from 25% of normal to more than 200% of normal.

Precipitation amounts varied during the first half of May, ranging from 25% of normal in spots like northern Maine to more than 200% of normal in spots like central Pennsylvania. The region’s 35 major climate sites were nearly split, with 17 being drier than normal and 18 being wetter than normal. Overall, May 1-15 precipitation ranged from 29% of normal in Caribou, ME, which had its 13th driest such period, to 211% of normal in Williamsport, PA, one of seven sites where the period ranked among their 20 wettest.

None of the major climate sites saw snow during the first half of May. Only five major sites average snowfall for the May 1-15 period with amounts being 0.6 inches or less.

This May 1-15 period ranked among the 20 wettest for seven major climate sites but was the 13th driest on record for Caribou, ME.

For June, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center favors wetter-than-normal conditions for southern parts of the Northeast, with equal chances of below-, near-, or above-normal precipitation forecast for the rest of the region. The entire Northeast falls into the equal chances category for temperatures for June.

Southern parts of the Northeast shaded green are expected to be wetter than normal for June.

Equal chances of below-, near-, or above-normal temperatures were forecast for the region for June.