000
CXUS51 KBUF 050238
CLMROC

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
1226 PM EDT THU JUN 01 2023

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

...THE ROCHESTER NY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MAY 2023...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD: 1991 TO 2020
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1871 TO 2023

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART   LAST YEAR`S
                VALUE   DATE(S)   VALUE   FROM     VALUE DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             94   05/30/1987
                       05/14/1974
 LOW              26   05/02/1979
                       05/07/1970
HIGHEST           85   05/31                          88  05/31
LOWEST            32   05/18                          34  05/01
AVG. MAXIMUM    67.5               69.4    -1.9     71.5
AVG. MINIMUM    43.7               48.2    -4.5     49.7
MEAN            55.6               58.8    -3.2     60.6
DAYS MAX >= 90     0                0.4    -0.4        0
DAYS MAX <= 32     0                0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 32     1                0.6     0.4        0
DAYS MIN <= 0      0                0.0     0.0        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM        6.87   1894
 MINIMUM        0.24   2007
TOTALS          1.39               2.86   -1.47     2.41
DAYS >= .01        7                                  11
DAYS >= .10        5                                   7
DAYS >= .50        1                                   2
DAYS >= 1.00       0                                   0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL   0.65   05/19 TO 05/20               0.90  05/21 TO 05/21

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL          10.9   1989
TOTALS             T                0.1    -0.1      0.0
SINCE 7/1       50.4              102.0   -51.6       MM
SNOWDEPTH AVG.     0                                   0
DAYS >= 1.0        0                0.0     0.0        0
DAYS >= 0.1        0                                   0
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH        0                                   0  MM
 24 HR TOTAL      MM                                  MM

DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL    297                232      65      192
 SINCE 7/1      5802               6227    -425       MM
COOLING TOTAL     13                 40     -27       62
 SINCE 1/1        21                 44     -23       MM
................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              7.3
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    30/250
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    45/250    DATE  05/16

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.49
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR           12
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             12
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          7

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     62

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                1     RAIN                       3
LIGHT RAIN                8     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       0
LIGHT SNOW                0     SLEET                      1
FOG                      10     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      0
HAZE                      2

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

&&

...SPLENDID MAY...

SUMMER`S FINEST WEATHER WAS ON DISPLAY THROUGH THE MONTH OF MAY,
WITH NEARLY ALL DAYS FROM WEEK TWO TO THE END OF THE MONTH SUNNY,
DRY, AND WITH LOW HUMIDITY. THE FIRST WEEK OF THE MONTH DID FEATURE
SEVERAL SYSTEMS THAT BROUGHT RAIN. THE COOL START ALSO ALLOWED FOR
MAY OF 2023 TO FINISH WITH A BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURE. 

THE TEMPERATURE AVERAGED 55.6F DEGREES THIS MAY, WHICH IS 3.2
DEGREES BELOW MAY`S NORMAL TEMPERATURE. BELOW DAILY NORMAL
TEMPERATURE VALUES OUTWEIGHED ABOVE DAILY NORMAL TEMPERATURE VALUES
BY 18 TO 8. THE DAYS WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES WERE EVENLY
DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE MONTH. FIVE DAYS THIS MONTH AVERAGED
THEIR DAILY NORMAL. THERE WAS DAY-TO-DAY WARMING DURING THESE DRY
STRETCHES, WITH THE WARMEST DAY THE LAST AT 85F.  A LATE SEASON
FREEZE ON THE 18TH OCCURRED WITH A LOW OF 32F. THIS FROST AND FREEZE
AROUND ROCHESTER, AND TOWARDS THE GENESEE VALLEY AND FINGER LAKES
DID MUCH DAMAGE TO AGRICULTURE, ESPECIALLY FRUIT TREES AND BUSHES.
THE 2 DAYS REACHING INTO THE 80S ARE THREE DAYS LESS THAN NORMAL,
AND ALL OCCURRED THE FINAL 2 DAYS OF THE MONTH. 

PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH TOTALED 1.39 INCHES, WHICH IS AN INCH
AND A HALF BELOW NORMAL. THE RAIN FELL ALL DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF
MAY, EXCEPT FOR THE 19-20TH WHEN SOME LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS FELL WITHIN
SOUTHERLY FLOW ON FRIDAY THE 19TH, AND THEN A PERIOD OF LIGHT RAIN
ON THE 20TH WITH THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE. IN FACT, THE SECOND WEEK
ONWARD (MAY 8TH-31ST) WAS THE TWELFTH DRIEST (0.69") ON RECORD.
THANKFULLY THE WET START TO 2023 DELAYED THE IMPACTS OF THIS DRY
STRETCH WITH VEGETATION GENERALLY REMAINING GREEN THROUGHOUT THE
MONTH. THE 7 DAYS WITH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION RANKS TIED FOR 9TH
FEWEST IN THE MONTH OF MAY. THERE WERE NO THUNDERSTORMS AT THE
ROCHESTER AIRPORT, AND NO SEVERE STORMS ANYWHERE ACROSS WNY THIS
MONTH. 

MAY BEGAN WITH A DEEP STORM SYSTEM SPIRALING ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES.
THIS SLOW MOVING SYSTEM BROUGHT RAIN SHOWERS TO OUR REGION THE FIRST
4 DAYS OF THE MONTH, AND TEMPERATURES IN THE 40S OR LOWER 50S. ON
THE 1ST, UNDER THE COLD AIR ALOFT, SOFT ICE PELLETS FELL GIVING THE
AIRPORT A TRACE OF SNOW FOR THE DAY. THE WETTEST DAY THIS STRETCH
WAS THE 3RD WITH NEARLY A QUARTER OF AN INCH OF RAINFALL. HIGH
PRESSURE MAINTAINED SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES ON THE 5TH AND 6TH, WITH
DRY CONDITIONS. A SHORTWAVE TROUGH BROUGHT SHOWERS BACK TO WESTERN
NEW YORK ON THE 7TH, WITH THE RAIN FALLING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON
HOURS. THEREAFTER THERE WAS JUST ONE SYSTEM OF NOTE THE REST OF MAY.
THIS ON THE 19TH AND 20TH WHEN MOIST, SOUTHERLY FLOW BROUGHT A FEW
RAIN SHOWERS ACROSS WESTERN NEW YORK DURING THE AFTERNOON OF THE
19TH, AND THE COLD FRONT PASSING ON THE 20TH BROUGHT A PERIOD OF
RAIN. OTHERWISE MOST DAYS CONTAINED WALL TO WALL SUNSHINE, AT TIMES
THROUGH A MILKY SMOKE FILLED SKY, COMFORTABLE LEVELS OF HUMIDITY AND
LIGHT WINDS. 

THE WATER TEMPERATURE ROSE TO 55F DEGREES TOWARDS THE END OF MAY ON
LAKE ONTARIO. WINDS WERE LIGHT THIS MONTH, AVERAGING A MILE AND A
HALF PER HOUR BELOW NORMAL. THE STRONGEST WIND GUST OCCURRED ON THE
16TH DURING THE MORNING HOURS AND AHEAD OF A SOUTHWARD DROPPING COLD
FRONT. 

IN ALL, A QUIET, SUNNY AND DRY MONTH. 

&&

THOMAS

$$