May weather warmed up and dried out

May was fairly quiet in terms of severe weather, but also drier-than-normal and is now trending warmer than normal.

As of May 24, the average high temperature was around 85 degrees, nearly 3 degrees above normal. At least three days hit highs at or above 90, one of which, May 5^th, soared to 97. The average low was 65, about 2 degrees above normal.

Rainfall was only 2.01 inches which was 1.6” short of May’s normal rainfall of 3.59”. Combined with April’s rainfall deficit of 2.54” and March’s normal rainfall of 2.6”, Denton County’s spring rainfall is running about 4 inches below normal. For the first five months of the year, Denton Enterprise Airport has recorded about 10 inches of rain (9.96”), which is nearly 3 inches below the climatological norm of 12.82” through May.

The worst severe weather outbreak of the month was May 19^th, when a cluster of thunderstorms produced one-inch hail at Flower Mound and went on to produce large hail (2.5”) over parts of west Plano and Allen.

The “Weather Community” of federal forecasters and local broadcasters goes to some length to help you prepare for spring storms. WBAP-AM and WFAA-TV had a highly successful WeatherCon event May 6^th at the Frontiers of Flight Museum next to Love Field. Close to 1,500 people showed up to see storm chase vehicles and hear from Bill Bunting, Chief of Forecast Operations at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, OK, and Meteorologist Mike Smith.

A mild El Nino (warmer than normal ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific) appears to be developing. It means nothing unusual for our summer months but could mean a wetter fall and winter. Current trends favor “normal” weather for North Texas in June.