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000
CXUS53 KIWX 011354
CLMSBN

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
954 AM EDT FRI JUN 1 2012

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

...THE SOUTH BEND CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MAY 2012...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1893 TO 2012

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH              97   05/27/2012
 LOW               24   05/06/1968
HIGHEST            97R  05/27        MM      MM       89  05/31
                                                          05/30
LOWEST             38   05/11        MM      MM       32  05/05
AVG. MAXIMUM     76.6              70.0     6.6     70.1
AVG. MINIMUM     52.7              48.6     4.1     50.7
MEAN             64.7              59.3     5.4
DAYS MAX >= 90      3               0.3     2.7        0
DAYS MAX <= 32      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 32      0               0.4    -0.4        1
DAYS MIN <= 0       0               0.0     0.0        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         8.09   1996
 MINIMUM         0.80   1994
TOTALS           2.14              3.83   -1.69     7.59
DAILY AVG.       0.07              0.12   -0.05     0.24
DAYS >= .01         8              12.3    -4.3       18
DAYS >= .10         5               7.3    -2.3       11
DAYS >= .50         2               2.8    -0.8        5
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.8    -0.8        3
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.96   05/06 TO 05/07

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL           10.0   1929
TOTALS            0.0               0.0     0.0      0.0
SINCE 7/1        51.2              66.6   -15.4    105.6
SNOWDEPTH AVG.      0                MM      MM        0
DAYS >= 1.0         0               0.0     0.0        0
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH         0   MM                             0
 24 HR TOTAL      0.0   05/31 TO 05/31

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     115               223    -108      205
 SINCE 7/1       5074              6254   -1180     6422
COOLING TOTAL     112                46      66       71
 SINCE 1/1        158                56     102       78
.................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              8.4
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    33/230    DATE  05/04
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    43/200    DATE  05/04

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.30
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR           23
NUMBER OF DAYS PC              6
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          2

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     59

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                4     RAIN                       5
LIGHT RAIN               11     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       0
LIGHT SNOW                0     SLEET                      0
FOG                       8     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      1
HAZE                      4

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

&&

...A VERY DRY AND WARM MAY IN THE SOUTH BEND AREA...

THE MONTH OF MAY WAS CHARACTERIZED BY A CONTINUATION OF RELATIVELY
DRY CONDITIONS AND WARM TEMPERATURES WHICH WERE BOTH COMMON THROUGH
MUCH OF THE SPRING. OVER A HALF INCH OF RAIN FELL ON THE LAST DAY OF
MAY AT SOUTH BEND...HELPING REDUCE THE MONTHLY DEFICIT. HOWEVER...A
STRETCH OF DAYS FROM MAY 8TH THROUGH MAY 30TH PRODUCED JUST UNDER
0.30 INCHES OF RAIN...WELL BELOW NORMAL FOR THIS PERIOD. IT WAS ALSO
VERY WARM THROUGH THIS PERIOD WITH LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES. THIS
ALLOWED FOR HIGH DAILY EVAPORATION RATES WHICH STRESSED VEGETATION
AND FORCED MANY PEOPLE TO IRRIGATE LAWNS AND CROPS. THE AREA ALSO
FELL INTO THE D0 DROUGHT CATEGORY...MEANING ABNORMALLY DRY
CONDITIONS WERE PRESENT.

THE AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE WAS 64.7...5.4 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL.
THIS TIES 1987 AS THE 9TH WARMEST MAY ON RECORD IN THE SOUTH BEND
AREA. THE WARMEST TEMPERATURE OF THE MONTH WAS 97 ON THE 27TH. THIS
ALSO BROKE A RECORD FOR THE ALL TIME WARMEST MAY TEMPERATURE ON
RECORD...EXCEEDING THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 96 SET IN 1934. THE THIRD
WARMEST MAY TEMPERATURE ON RECORD ALSO OCCURRED THIS MONTH ON THE
28TH WHEN IT REACHED 95. THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 3 DAYS WITH HIGH
TEMPERATURES OF 90 DEGREES OR HIGHER. MAY TYPICALLY AVERAGES LESS
THAN ONE DAY OF 90 DEGREE WEATHER. THE LAST TIME MAY HAD 3 DAYS WITH
90 DEGREES OR HIGHER WAS IN 2006. THE GREATEST NUMBER OF 90 DEGREE
DAYS AT SOUTH BEND IN MAY IS SIX...WHICH OCCURRED IN 1911... 1934
AND 1977.

PRECIPITATION FOR MAY WAS 2.14 INCHES...1.69 INCHES BELOW NORMAL.
PRIOR TO THE 31ST...THIS MAY WAS IN THE TOP 15 DRIEST.
HOWEVER...WITH 0.63 INCHES OF RAIN ON THE LAST DAY MAY 2012 ENDED AS
THE 28TH DRIEST ON RECORD. THERE WERE 8 DAYS WITH AT LEAST 0.01
INCHES OF PRECIPITATION AND 5 DAYS WITH 0.10 OR MORE. ONLY 2 DAYS
HAD A HALF INCH OR MORE OF RAIN AND THERE WERE NO DAYS WITH AN INCH
OR MORE OF RAIN. THE GREATEST 24 HOUR RAINFALL WAS 0.96 ON THE 6TH
AND 7TH.

THERE WAS NO SNOWFALL IN MAY. THE SEASONAL TOTAL FOR 2011-2012 IS
51.2 INCHES...15.4 INCHES BELOW THE NORMAL. THIS SEASONS SNOWFALL
WAS ALSO MORE THAN HALF OF WHAT FELL LAST SEASON...WHICH WAS 105.6
INCHES.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE DRY AND WARM MAY AS WELL AS A SUMMARY
OF THE DRY AND WARM SPRING CAN BE FOUND ON THE NWS NORTHERN INDIANA
WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/IWX .

$$

LASHLEY