Long Description: U.S. Selected Significant Climate Anomalies and Events, May and Spring 2015
The average U.S. temperature during May was 60.8°
F, 0.6°
F above average. The spring U.S. temperature was 53.2°
F, 2.2°
F above average. May U.S. precipitation was 4.36 inches, 1.45 inches above average and the wettest month of any month on record. The spring precipitation total was 9.33 inches, 1.39 inches above average.
Map contains the following highlights:
- Alaska was record warm for May with a temperature 7.1° F above average. The warmth was widespread with Barrow and Juneau being record warm.
- Seven state across the West had a top 10 warm spring. California had its warmest January-May on record, at 5.1° F above average.
- The Northeast was warm and dry with drought developing. Connecticut, Massachussetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island were record warm for May.
- The contiguous U.S. drought footprint shrank to 24.6, the smallest since February 2011. Drought conditions improved across the Great Plains, but remain entrenched in the West.
- There were over 400 preliminary tornado reports during May, the most since April 2011. There were 7 tornado-related fatalities.
- On May 10, Tropical Storm Ana made landfall in South Carolina with sustained winds of 45 miles per hour. Ana is the second earliest landfalling tropical cyclone on record for the United States.
- Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas were record wet for May with widespread flooding. It was also the all-time wettest month for Oklahoma and Texas. Texas was record wet for spring.
- Hawaii had a mixed precipitation pattern during May with little change in drought conditions. Over 20 percent of the state is in drought.
- Florida had its warmest spring on record with a temperature 4.6° F above average. Georgia had its third warmest spring.
Please note: Material in this map was compiled from NOAA's State of the Climate reports. For more information, please visit: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/
Return to slide 12.
