000
CXUS53 KDTX 111658 AAA
CLMDTW

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
956 AM EDT FRI JUN 1 2012

...................................

...THE DETROIT MI CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MAY 2012...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1874 TO 2012

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM
                                          NORMAL
................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH              95   05/28/2012
                        05/31/1895
                        07/08/1936
 LOW               25   05/10/1966
HIGHEST            95R  05/28        MM      MM
LOWEST             41   05/10        MM      MM
AVG. MAXIMUM     76.4              69.9     6.5
AVG. MINIMUM     54.2              49.4     4.8
MEAN             65.3              59.7     5.6
DAYS MAX >= 90      2               0.4     1.6
DAYS MAX <= 32      0               0.0     0.0
DAYS MIN <= 32      0               0.2    -0.2
DAYS MIN <= 0       0               0.0     0.0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         8.46   2004
 MINIMUM         0.43   1920
TOTALS           1.72              3.38   -1.66
DAILY AVG.       0.06              0.11   -0.05
DAYS >= .01        12              12.1    -0.1
DAYS >= .10         5               6.9    -1.9
DAYS >= .50         0               2.3    -2.3
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.7    -0.7
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.73   04/30 TO 05/01
 STORM TOTAL       MM
 (MM/DD(HH))            MM

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL            6.0   1923
                        0
                        0
TOTALS            0.0                 T     0.0
 LIQUID EQUIV    0.00                MM      MM
SINCE 7/1        26.0              42.7   -16.7
 LIQUID 7/1      2.60
DAYS >= TRACE       0               0.0     0.0
DAYS >= 1.0         0               0.0     0.0
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH         0   MM
 24 HR TOTAL      0.0   05/31 TO 05/31
 STORM TOTAL       MM
 (MM/DD(HH))            MM

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL      79               208    -129
 SINCE 7/1       4864              6102   -1238
COOLING TOTAL      97                42      55
 SINCE 1/1        117                48      69

FREEZE DATES
RECORD
 EARLIEST     MM
 LATEST       MM
EARLIEST                        MM
LATEST                          MM
.................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              6.8
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    32/270    DATE  05/26
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    40/270    DATE  05/26

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            5
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             16
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY         10

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     60

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              5     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                2     RAIN                       8
LIGHT RAIN               13     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       1
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       0
LIGHT SNOW                0     SLEET                      0
FOG                      17     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      0
HAZE                     15

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.

$$

-------------------------------------------------------------------
CLIMATOLOGICAL STATISTICS FOR THE NWS WHITE LAKE - MAY 2012

...TEMPERATURE DATA...               ...PRECIPITATION DATA...
AVERAGE MAXIMUM.... 72.9             MONTHLY TOTAL ..........2.66
AVERAGE MINIMUM.... 48.6             GREATEST DAILY TOTAL....0.96
MONTHLY AVERAGE.... 60.8             ON THE 3RD
                                     2012 TOTAL..............9.74

...HEATING DEGREE DAYS...            ...SNOWFALL DATA...

MONTHLY TOTAL..........165           MONTHLY TOTAL..........0.00
2011-12 SEASON TOTAL...5813          2011-12 SEASON TOTAL...33.3

...COOLING DEGREE DAYS...
MONTHLY TOTAL.........37
2012 TOTAL............45

=====================================================================
...DETROIT`S 3RD WARMEST MAY ROUNDS OUT RECORD WARM SPRING...

A STRETCH OF INCREDIBLE WARMTH CONTINUED FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN, AND
MUCH OF THE COUNTRY, AS THE DETROIT AREA EXPERIENCED ITS 3RD WARMEST
MAY ON RECORD. DESPITE A NEAR NORMAL MONTH OF APRIL, THE
RECORD-SHATTERING MONTH OF MARCH AND THE 3RD WARMEST MAY WERE STILL
ENOUGH TO PRODUCE AN AVERAGE SPRING TEMPERATURE OF 55.2, DETROIT`S
WARMEST ON RECORD BY A WIDE MARGIN. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 53.1 IN
SPRING 2012, MORE THAN 2 FULL DEGREES COLDER THAN THE SPRING OF
2012. FLINT AND SAGINAW SET NEW RECORDS AS WELL.

MAY 2012 WAS CHARACTERIZED BY PERSISTENT WARM TEMPERATURES ALONG
WITH EPISODES OF RECORD OR NEAR-RECORD TEMPERATURES.  FOR THE ENTIRE
MONTH, ONLY 3 DAYS (10TH, 17TH, AND 31ST) FEATURED BELOW NORMAL
TEMPERATURES. THE REMAINING 28 DAYS SAW DAILY AVERAGE TEMPERATURES
RISE TO AT LEAST 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL ON 10 OCCASIONS, INCLUDING
TWO DAYS OF 90 DEGREE TEMPERATURES OCCURRING ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE
THE AVERAGE DATE FOR DETROIT`S FIRST 90 DEGREE TEMPERATURE (JUNE
19TH). WITH THE HELP OF BRISK SOUTHWEST WINDS, THE HIGH TEMPERATURE
ON THE 28TH ROSE TO AN AFTERNOON HIGH OF 95 DEGREES, TYING THE
PREVIOUS RECORD (ORIGINALLY SET ON MAY 31ST, 1895) FOR THE DETROIT
AREA`S WARMEST MAY TEMPERATURE. OVERALL, THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR
THE MONTH WAS 65.3, +5.6 DEGREES ABOVE THE 59.7 DEGREE NORMAL. THIS
TIED IT WITH MAY OF 1896 FOR THE 3RD WARMEST MAY ON RECORD (1.2
DEGREES SHY OF THE WARMEST MAY, WHICH OCCURRED IN 1991).

THUNDER WAS OBSERVED ON FIVE OCCASIONS DURING THE MONTH. ALTHOUGH
THE AREA`S RELATIVELY QUIET SPRING SEVERE WEATHER SEASON CONTINUED,
SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN STILL MANAGED THREE EPISODES OF WIND AND/OR HAIL
DURING THE MONTH. THE MOST WIDESPREAD EPISODE HAPPENED WHEN NUMEROUS
PULSE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF SEVERE WINDS,
PROMPTING NUMEROUS REPORTS OF DAMAGE, INCLUDING ONE OF A SMALL PLANE
BEING FLIPPED OVER AT BISHOP INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (FNT) IN FLINT.
INFREQUENT THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY RESULTED IN A MONTHLY RAINFALL
TOTAL OF ONLY 1.72", WHICH IS 51% OF THE 3.38" MONTHLY NORMAL.
HOWEVER, IT WAS A DIFFERENT STORY FOR THE FLINT AREA, A TESTAMENT TO
THE SPORADIC BUT INTENSE NATURE OF THUNDERSTORMS. ON THE EVENING OF
MAY 3RD AND VERY EARLY MORNING HOURS ON MAY 4TH, ONGOING
THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE EVENING`S SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK RESULTED IN
ONLY 0.09" OF RAIN AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT. HOWEVER, FLINT RECORDED
AN EVENT TOTAL OF 5.62", THE 5TH GREATEST 2-DAY RAINFALL TOTAL IN
THEIR RECORD (THE GREATEST TOTAL IS 6.73" ON 8/8 AND 8/9/1937). THAT
ALONE GUARANTEED MAY 2012 A SPOT AMONG FLINT`S 10 WETTEST MAYS ON
RECORD. IN FACT, MAY 3RD BECAME THE WETTEST DAY TO BE RECORDED IN
THE MONTH OF MAY IN FLINT. UNFORTUNATELY FOR MANY RESIDENTS IN THE
FLINT AREA WHO EXPERIENCED SEVERE FLOODING, THAT RECORD WAS BROKEN
AGAIN JUST A FEW SHORT HOURS LATER AS THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED PAST
MIDNIGHT AND QUICKLY PUSHED MAY 3RD TO #2 AS THE 4TH WAS LIFTED TO
#1 BEFORE DAYBREAK.

THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE DETROIT AREA IN MAY WAS 76.4,
+6.5 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL VALUE OF 69.9 AND THE 3RD WARMEST ON
RECORD. THE AVERAGE LOW FOR THE MONTH WAS 54.2, +4.8 DEGREES ABOVE
THE 49.4 DEGREE NORMAL AND TIED FOR THE 6TH WARMEST ON RECORD. THE
AVERAGE OVERALL TEMPERATURE WAS 65.3, A DEPARTURE OF +5.6 DEGREES
ABOVE THE 59.7 DEGREE NORMAL AND TIED FOR THE 3RD WARMEST ON RECORD.