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CXUS53 KIWX 011615
CLSSBN

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
1215 PM EDT SAT JUN 01 2024

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

...THE SOUTH BEND CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE SEASON, FROM
3/1/2024 TO 5/31/2024...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1991 TO 2020
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1893 TO 2024

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART   LAST YEAR`S
                VALUE   DATE(S)   VALUE   FROM     VALUE
                                          NORMAL
..............................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             97   05/27/2012
 LOW             -13   03/08/1943
HIGHEST           88   05/20         MM      MM       92
                       05/21
LOWEST            21   03/20         MM      MM       16
AVG. MAXIMUM    64.3               58.5     5.8     60.8
AVG. MINIMUM    42.7               37.5     5.2     39.1
MEAN            53.5               48.0     5.5
DAYS MAX >= 90     0                0.7    -0.7        2
DAYS MAX <= 32     0                3.6    -3.6        1
DAYS MIN <= 32    19               30.6   -11.6       29
DAYS MIN <= 0      0                0.1    -0.1        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM       19.83   1976
 MINIMUM        4.24   1971
TOTALS         12.10              10.04    2.06    10.00
DAILY AVG.      0.13               0.11    0.02     0.11
DAYS >= .01       44               39.2     4.8       39
DAYS >= .10       24               21.4     2.6       27
DAYS >= .50        8                6.8     1.2        5
DAYS >= 1.00       2                1.7     0.3        2
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL   1.44

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL          34.6   1960
 24 HR TOTAL     3.4   03/03/2023 TO 03/03/2023
TOTALS           0.4                7.8    -7.4     10.5
SINCE 7/1       30.3               64.5   -34.2     58.4
SNOWDEPTH AVG.     T                                   0
DAYS >= TRACE      7                6.6     0.4       18
DAYS >= 1.0        0                2.3    -2.3        4
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH        T                                   2
 24 HR TOTAL     0.3

DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL   1092               1624    -532     1427
 SINCE 7/1      4931               6358   -1427     5433
COOLING TOTAL     61                 55       6       64
 SINCE 1/1        61                 56       5       64
..............................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              10.1
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    36/250    DATE  05/20
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    50/240    DATE  05/20

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.44
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR           42
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             29
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY         20

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     66

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM             21     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN               17     RAIN                      26
LIGHT RAIN               45     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       1
LIGHT SNOW                6     SLEET                      0
FOG                      43     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      4
HAZE                     14

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

&&

...TOP 5 WARMEST SPRING ON RECORD...

SPRING 2024 WILL CERTAINLY BE REMEMBERED AS BEING WARM AND WET,
THANKS TO THE ONGOING TRANSITION FROM EL NINO TO LA NINA. MARCH,
APRIL, AND MAY ALL HAD AVERAGE TEMPERATURES WELL ABOVE NORMAL. IT
WASN`T JUST DAYTIME HIGHS THAT WERE WARM THIS SPRING, BUT ALSO THE
LACK OF COOLING OVERNIGHT AS WELL. NUMEROUS DAYS OF OVERNIGHT LOWS
IN THE 50S AND 60S HELPED CONTRIBUTE TO A WARMER THAN USUAL SPRING.
OVERALL, THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR SPRING 2024 WAS 53.5 DEGREES,
WHICH IS 5.5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL! THIS WAS THE 5TH WARMEST SPRING
SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN 1893 AND THE WARMEST SPRING SINCE 2012.

UNLIKE THE FLASH DROUGHT THAT WAS ONGOING THIS TIME LAST YEAR, A
SOGGY, WET SPRING THIS YEAR LED TO SEVERAL INSTANCES OF STANDING
WATER IN FIELDS, LEADING TO A DELAY IN SPRING PLANTING FOR MANY AREA
FARMERS. SOUTH BEND RECIEVED 12.10" OF PRECIPITATION THIS SPRING,
WHICH WAS 2.06" ABOVE NORMAL. THIS WAS THE WETTEST SPRING SINCE
SINCE 14.94" FELL IN 2014. SPRING 2024 IS THE 26TH WETTEST SPRING ON
RECORD.

SPRING SEVERE WEATHER PEAKED ON MAY 7TH WHEN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
PRODUCED 7 TORNADOES, LARGE HAIL, AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. THIS WAS
THE GREATEST SINGLE-DAY TORNADO OUTBREAK IN OUR FORECAST AREA SINCE
13 TORNADOES OCCURRED ON MARCH 31, 2023.

UNSURPRISINGLY, DUE TO THE WARM TEMPERATURES, THERE WAS A LACK OF
SNOWFALL THIS SPRING. A RECORD LACK OF ICE COVER ON THE GREAT LAKES
KEPT SOUTH BEND MAINLY SNOW-FREE THIS SPRING. ONLY 0.4" WAS
RECORDED, WHICH IS 7.4" BELOW NORMAL AND TIED FOR THE 4TH LEAST
SNOWIEST SPRING ON RECORD. THIS WAS THE LEAST SNOWIEST SPRING SINCE
ONLY A TRACE FELL IN SPRING 2010.

A MONTH-BY-MONTH SUMMARY IS BELOW.

MARCH 2024

...A WET AND TOP 10 WARMEST START TO SPRING...

MUCH LIKE FEBRUARY, ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES CONTINUED THROUGH
MARCH, ESPECIALLY DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE MONTH. 14 OF THE
FIRST 15 DAYS OF MARCH HAD AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE ABOVE NORMAL.
TYPICALLY, THERE ARE 5 DAYS WITH A HIGH TEMPERATURE AT OR ABOVE 60
DEGREES IN MARCH; THIS YEAR, THERE WERE 11 60+ DEGREE DAYS IN SOUTH
BEND (THIS INCLUDES TWO DAYS WITH HIGHS IN THE 70S). OVERALL, THE
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR MARCH WAS 44.1 DEGREES, WHICH IS 7.4 DEGREES
ABOVE NORMAL. THIS WAS THE WARMEST MARCH SINCE 2012. MARCH 2024 TIES
FOR THE 8TH WARMEST MARCH ON RECORD. RECORDS DATE BACK TO 1897.

ALTHOUGH MANY DAYS THIS MONTH DID NOT HAVE MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION,
THE MONTH OVERALL WAS STILL ABOVE AVERAGE. THIS IS BECAUSE MUCH OF
THE MONTH`S RAINFALL FELL IN THREE DAYS! MARCH 8TH AND MARCH 30TH
HAD RAIN TOTALS JUST SHY OF AN INCH (0.98 AND 0.90 INCHES
RESPECTIVELY). MARCH 14TH HAD THE HIGHEST DAILY RAINFALL TOTAL WITH
1.44"! THIS IS THE HIGHEST SINGLE DAY RAINFALL TOTAL IN MARCH SINCE
1.48" FELL ON MARCH 31, 2023. OVERALL, THE MONTH TOTALED 4.34 INCHES
OF RAIN, WHICH IS 1.99 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS WAS THE 13TH
WETTEST MARCH ON RECORD.

DUE TO THE WARM TEMPERATURES, SNOWFALL WAS NOTABLY LACKING IN MARCH.
ONLY 0.4" OF SNOW WAS MEASURED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE MONTH, WHICH IS
6.4" BELOW AVERAGE. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHERE ONLY A
TRACE OF SNOW HAS BEEN RECORDED IN MARCH, SO THIS IS NOT A RECORD.
MARCH 2024 RANKS AS THE 11TH LEAST SNOWIEST ON RECORD AND IS THE
LEAST SNOWIEST MARCH SINCE 2021.

NO RECORDS WERE SET THIS MONTH.

APRIL 2024

....15TH WARMEST, 35TH WETTEST APRIL ON RECORD....

IN TYPICAL SPRING FASHION, APRIL FEATURED LOTS OF TEMPERATURE SWINGS
AND FLUCTUATIONS. THERE WERE 10 DAYS WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES 70+
DEGREES THIS MONTH, INCLUDING ONE DAY IN THE 80S. A HIGH TEMPERATURE
OF 80 DEGREES WAS OBSERVED ON APRIL 27TH, MARKING THE FIRST 80+
DEGREE DAY IN SOUTH BEND. ON AVERAGE, THE FIRST 80+ DEGREE DAY
OCCURS ON APRIL 25TH. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE 4 NIGHTS THIS MONTH
WITH A LOW BELOW FREEZING, INCLUDING 2 NIGHTS WHERE A HARD FREEZE
OCCURRED. A LOW TEMPERATURE OF 26 DEGREES OCCURRED ON APRIL 6TH AND
A LOW OF 28 DEGREES OCCURRED ON APRIL 25TH. ON AVERAGE, THE LAST
HARD FREEZE IN SOUTH BEND HAPPENS ON APRIL 15TH. OVERALL, THE MONTH
FINISHED WITH AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 52,4 DEGREES, WHICH IS 4.3
DEGREES WARMER THAN NORMAL. THIS WAS THE 15TH WARMEST APRIL ON
RECORD AND THE WARMEST APRIL SINCE 2010.

A SERIES OF LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS PASSING THROUGH THE MIDWEST LED TO
A VERY WET AND SOGGY APRIL. THERE WAS A SHARP GRADIENT IN MONTHLY
RAINFALL TOTALS IN NORTHERN INDIANA; BETWEEN FORT WAYNE AND SOUTH
BEND (ABOUT 90 MILES APART), THERE WAS OVER 3 INCHES DIFFERENCE IN
RAINFALL TOTALS! SOUTH BEND HAD THE WETTEST APRIL SINCE 2019. IN
TOTAL, 4.27 INCHES OF RAIN FELL, WHICH IS 0.78 INCHES ABOVE AVERAGE
AND RANKS AS THE 35TH WETTEST APRIL ON RECORD.

THERE WAS ONLY A TRACE OF SNOW THIS MONTH, WHICH IS UNSURPRISING
GIVEN THE WARM TEMPERATURES. THIS IS 1.0 INCHES BELOW AVERAGE. APRIL
2024 IS TIED FOR THE 6TH LEAST SNOWIEST APRIL ON RECORD. THE LAST
TIME MEASURABLE SNOW OCCURRED IN APRIL WAS IN 2022.

NO RECORDS WERE SET THIS MONTH.

MAY 2024

...WARMEST MAY IN SIX YEARS...

PICKING UP WHERE APRIL ENDED, MAY BEGAN UNSEASONABLY WARM WITH HIGH
TEMPERATURES EXCEEDING 80 DEGREES BY MAY 2ND AND AGAIN ON THE 4TH.
THE MONTH WAS MILD OVERALL WITH ONLY THREE DATES RECORDING AN
AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE DEPARTURE BELOW NORMAL. A TOASTY 88
DEGREES WAS THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDED ON BOTH THE 20TH AND
21ST (FIVE DEGREES SHY OF A RECORD FOR BOTH DATES). THE AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS XX.X DEGREES WHICH IS X.X DEGREES
ABOVE NORMAL. THIS RANKS AS THE XX WARMEST ON RECORD AND IS THE
WARMEST MAY IN SIX YEARS.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE FREQUENT, WITH ONLY 11 DRY DAYS
OBSERVED. DESPITE THIS, THE OBSERVED RAINFALL TOTAL OF 3.49 INCHES
WAS ACTUALLY 0.71 INCHES BELOW NORMAL, RANKING AS THE 62ND WETTEST
ON RECORD. THIS IS NOTABLY MORE MAY RAINFALL THAN THE 1.80 INCHES
RECORDED LAST YEAR.

NO RECORD WERE SET THIS MONTH.

BROWN/JOHNSON

$$