Climatological Report (Monthly)
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000
CXUS53 KIWX 011201
CLMSBN

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
801 AM EDT THU JUN 01 2023

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

...THE SOUTH BEND CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MAY 2023...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1991 TO 2020
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1893 TO 2023

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           92   05/30         MM      MM       91  05/31
LOWEST            36   05/01         MM      MM       40  05/05
                                                          05/23
AVG. MAXIMUM    73.6               70.1     3.5     73.3
AVG. MINIMUM    48.9               48.1     0.8     53.5
MEAN            61.2               59.1     2.1
DAYS MAX >= 90     2                0.7     1.3        2
DAYS MAX <= 32     0                0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 32     0                0.6    -0.6        0
DAYS MIN <= 0      0                0.0     0.0        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM        8.33   2018
 MINIMUM        0.80   1994
TOTALS          1.80               4.20   -2.40     3.13
DAILY AVG.      0.06               0.14   -0.08     0.10
DAYS >= .01        6               13.4    -7.4       10
DAYS >= .10        4                8.0    -4.0        7
DAYS >= .50        1                3.1    -2.1        2
DAYS >= 1.00       0                0.9    -0.9        0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL   0.85   05/01 TO 05/01

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL          10.0   1929
TOTALS             T                0.0     0.0      0.0
SINCE 7/1       58.4               64.5    -6.1     56.0
SNOWDEPTH AVG.     0                                   0
DAYS >= 1.0        0                0.0     0.0        0
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH        0
 24 HR TOTAL       T   05/01 TO 05/01

DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL    156                231     -75      152
 SINCE 7/1      5433               6358    -925     5767
COOLING TOTAL     48                 48       0      111
 SINCE 1/1        64                 56       8      117
................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              7.6
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    29/310    DATE  05/01
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    42/280    DATE  05/01
                                42/320          05/03

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.28
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR           21
NUMBER OF DAYS PC              6
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          4

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     56

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              3     MIXED PRECIP               1
HEAVY RAIN                1     RAIN                       3
LIGHT RAIN                9     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       0
LIGHT SNOW                1     SLEET                      0
FOG                       8     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      0
HAZE                      5

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

&&

...FLASH DROUGHT TO CONCLUDE THE MONTH...

THE MONTH STARTED WITH A BANG, FEATURING MOST OF THE MONTH`S
PRECIPITATION TOTAL (INCLUDING A TRACE OF SNOW) AND TEMPERATURES WELL
BELOW NORMAL. CHEERFUL SPRING WEATHER ARRIVED SOON AFTER WITH HIGHS
IN THE 70S AND 80S. THE END OF THE MONTH IS REALLY WHAT CAPTURED
HEADLINES AS DRY CONDITIONS DEVELOPED VERY QUICKLY. THIS IS KNOWN AS
A FLASH DROUGHT.

THIS FLASH DROUGHT WAS A RESULT OF AN OMEGA BLOCK (AS WELL AS A REX
BLOCK LATER ON) OVER THE REGION WHICH CUT-OFF THE FLOW OF MOISTURE
TO OUR LOCAL AREA, WHILE HIGH PRESSURE STEERED ANY SHOWER AND STORM
CHANCES ELSEWHERE.

DRY WEATHER PERSISTED FOR 12 STRAIGHT DAYS WHICH HAS OCCURRED
NUMEROUS TIMES ON RECORD (TIED FOR 154TH OVERALL, TIED AS 17TH
LONGEST BY NUMBER OF DAYS WHERE THE LONGEST STRETCH OF DAYS WAS 36
DAYS ENDING SEPTEMBER 23, 1908) IN THE PERIOD OF RECORD. THE RECORD
BOOKS ALSO SHOW THAT, IN INSTANCES OF 12 CONSECUTIVE DRY DAYS OR
MORE, THE ENDING DATE WAS IN MAY 14 TIMES. HALF OF THOSE 14-TIMES
HAVE AN END DATE IN THE FINAL 10-DAYS OF THE MONTH. OTHER RECENT
STRETCHES OF DRY WEATHER INCLUDE, OCTOBER 10, 2022 WHICH WAS THE END
OF A 13-DAY DRY STRETCH. THE YEAR 2021 FEATURED AN 11-DAY STRETCH
(FINAL DAY NOVEMBER 10) AND A 15-DAY DRY STRETCH (ENDING MAY 24).
ALL THAT TO SAY, THESE PROLONGED STRETCHES OF DRY WEATHER DO OCCUR
SOMEWHAT OFTEN IN THE SOUTH BEND AREA.

ON ONE HAND, THIS DRY WEATHER WAS BENEFICIAL FOR THOSE CUTTING HAY
AND PLANTING. ON THE OTHER HAND, SUCH A LONG STRETCH OF DRY WEATHER
RESULTED IN SOME CONCERN FOR NEWLY-PLANTED CROPS.

OVERALL, PRECIPITATION TOTALED 1.80 INCHES WHICH RANKS AS THE 23RD
DRIEST ON RECORD AND IS 2.40 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. THIS IS THE
DRIEST MAY SINCE 1.70 INCHES IN 2007.

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS 61.2 DEGREES WHICH IS 2.1
DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS RANKS AS THE 41ST WARMEST ON RECORD. TWO
90-DEGREE DAYS WERE RECORDED (30TH AND 31ST). THIS IS 13 DAYS AHEAD
OF THE NORMAL START DATE OF 90-DEGREE TEMPERATURES, JUNE 11TH.

A TRACE OF SNOW WAS RECORDED ON MAY 1, WHICH IS ABOVE-NORMAL FOR THE
MONTH AND IS THE 9TH SNOWIEST ON RECORD FOR THE MONTH. MAY 2020 ALSO
FEATURED A TRACE OF SNOW.

BROWN

$$


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