May 2024 Weather Recap: Mild Nights, Average Rainfall
May 2024 was 1.8 degrees warmer than average, its rainfall of 4.11" was slightly above average. This was the sixth consecutive month with above average temperatures and it was the 24th mildest May on record; however, it ranked eighth based on average low (which was 2.4 degrees above average), but ranked 41st based on average high (1.1 degree above average).
The highlight of the month was a seven-day streak (May 22-28) with lows of 65° or milder, the longest streak of its kind in May on record. For the entire month there were eight days with lows of 65°+, the second most on record (tied with May 1908 and one fewer than May 1880). Interestingly, no lows were in the 70s (41 Mays have had one or more ). During this streak the temperature was eight degrees warmer than average. (The rest of the month had average temperatures.)
On average, May’s warmest temperature is five degrees above April’s (88° vs. 83°), but this May's warmest reading of 84° (which happened on three days: 5/8, 5/22, and 5/24) was three degrees below April’s hottest temperature. It joined twenty other Mays that had their warmest reading cooler than April's (including last May).
The month's coolest reading was 47° on 5/11. Only seven Mays have had a milder reading as their chilliest (including last May); in those years the reading was either 48° or 49°. Four other Mays have had their coolest reading also be 47°.
Between 5/23 and 5/30, 2.59” of the month’s 4.11” of rain fell. 0.96" of this amount fell on Memorial Day from downpours shortly after daybreak and during mid-afternoon, making it the rainiest day of May, and the eighth wettest Memorial Day of them all. On 5/23 the day's 0.78" of rain fell mostly between 9:30 and 11 AM (resulting in ground stops at the area's three major airports).
Although Memorial Day had two downpours and overcast skies, the Saturday and Sunday of the holiday weekend had sunny skies and summer-like highs/lows of 81°/66° and 82°/65°, respectively
Here are past recaps of May's weather going back to 2015:
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