NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY
MAY 2020
3-9: A record-setting, late-season cold outbreak threatened a variety of crops from the Midwest into the Northeast, with widespread freezes extending as far south as Kentucky and the middle Atlantic States. At the height of the cold outbreak on May 9,
temperatures as low as 20 to 25ºF affected the northern and eastern Corn Belt, with freezes occurring along and northeast of a line from Iowa to Kentucky. Weekly temperatures averaged more than 10ºF below normal at many locations in the Great Lakes
States, while readings averaged at least 5ºF below normal in a much broader area extending as far west as the northern and central Plains and as far south as the Tennessee Valley. In contrast, consistent warmth from the Pacific Coast to the Rio Grande
Valley boosted temperatures as much as 10ºF above normal in southern sections of Arizona and California. Mostly dry weather accompanied the unseasonably cold air in the Great Lakes region, while dry conditions dominated the lower Southeast, including
Florida. In Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve, the Moonfish Fire became the state’s largest active wildfire, with more than 27,000 acres of vegetation burned. In early May, heat lingered across the south-central U.S. From May 1-4, Midland, TX,
posted four consecutive daily-record highs (101, 104, 103, and 104ºF). Elsewhere in Texas, Abilene (100, 100, and 101ºF) and San Angelo (104, 103, and 106ºF) tallied a trio of triple-digit, daily-record highs from May 2-4. Other record setting highs
on May 4 included 104ºF in Lawton, OK, and Del Rio, TX. Meanwhile, an initial surge of cold air arrived across the North, where Hibbing, MN, notched a daily-record low (20ºF) on May 4. The following day, record-setting lows for May 5 included 26ºF in
Great Falls, MT, and 30ºF in Youngstown, OH. Bangor, ME, notched a daily-record low (28ºF) on May 6. The chill deepened at week’s end, when consecutive daily-record lows occurred on May 8-9 in locations such as Fort Wayne, IN (29 and 23ºF);
Kalamazoo, MI (27 and 24ºF); Parkersburg, WV (30 and 28ºF); and New York’s JFK Airport (39 and 34ºF). In all four of those locations, the May 9 readings also represented the lowest May temperature on record. In Fort Wayne, for example, the
previously monthly record had been 27ºF, set on May 9, 1947; May 1, 1963; May 10, 1966; and May 4, 2005. Monthly records were also set or tied on May 9 in locations such as Binghamton, NY (24ºF); Indianapolis, IN (27ºF); and London, KY (28ºF). In
contrast, warmth lingered for much of the week across southern Florida, where Fort Lauderdale noted a daily-record high of 91ºF on May 6. Meanwhile, record-setting heat returned across southern California and the Desert Southwest. Consecutive daily-
record highs occurred on May 6-7 in Palm Springs, CA (108 and 110ºF). Elsewhere on the 6th, daily-record highs soared to 106ºF in Phoenix and Tucson, AZ. Warmth expanded at week’s end in the Pacific Coast States, where a pair of daily-record highs
were observed in Montague, CA (90 and 92ºF). In Oregon, Portland posted a record-setting high of 87ºF on May 9.
10-16: Weekly temperatures averaged as much as 10°F below normal in the Dakotas and the upper Great Lakes region. Readings averaged more than 5°F below normal in a much broader area stretching from the Plains to the East Coast, excluding the Deep South.
Elsewhere, near- or above normal temperatures dominated the West. Weekly readings averaged at least 5°F above normal in parts of the Great Basin, Pacific Northwest, and Intermountain West. Frost and freezes persisted through mid-week from the Great
Lakes region into the northern and middle Atlantic States, raising additional concerns for a variety of fruit crops. On May 10, Virginia locations such as Danville (30ºF) and Richmond (32ºF) came within one degree of May record lows. Elsewhere on the
10th, May records were established with lows of 30ºF in Lynchburg, VA, and Harrisburg, PA. On the same date, Trenton, NJ (31ºF), tied a monthly record most recently attained on May 14, 1996. Cold weather also lingered through the first half of the week
across the northern Plains. With a minimum temperature of 18ºF on May 12, Grand Forks, ND, noted its lowest reading since April 16. By May 13 in Michigan, Traverse City (24ºF) reported its lowest temperature since April 23. During a final round of cold
weather on May 12-13, consecutive daily-record lows were set in locations such as Pellston, MI (18 and 16ºF); Green Bay, WI (25 and 29ºF); and Columbus, OH (31 and 34ºF). Meanwhile, a surge of heat across the south-central U.S. produced a daily-record
high (96ºF on May 13) in Borger, TX. Elsewhere in Texas, record-setting highs for May 14 rose to 95ºF in Victoria and 94ºF in Brownsville. In the Desert Southwest, Phoenix, AZ, reported seven consecutive triple-digit readings, with highs ranging from
100 to 106ºF, from May 5-11.
17-23: A ribbon of warmth between the two areas of cool, wet weather led to weekly temperatures averaging 5 to 10°F above normal on the High Plains—and across the nation’s northern tier from eastern Montana into the upper Great Lakes region.
Meanwhile, near- or below-normal temperatures dominated a region stretching from the east-central Plains into the middle Atlantic States. Chilly weather also covered the Far West. In the “ribbon of warmth,” early- to midweek temperatures soared
across the southcentral U.S. On May 18-19 in Texas, Abilene (99 and 107°F) and Midland (105 and 104°F) posted consecutive daily-record highs. Similarly, a pair of daily records (108 and 104°F, respectively) occurred on May 19-20 in San Angelo, TX.
Elsewhere in Texas, Del Rio also collected a triple-digit, daily-record high, with a reading of 108°F on May 19. Heat also briefly affected the High Plains. In Colorado, for example, record-setting highs for May 19 surged to 91°F in Denver and 89°F in
Colorado Springs. On the same date, Cheyenne, WY, also logged a daily-record high (85°F). However, parts of the Plains, Rockies, and Intermountain West also experienced high winds and locally severe thunderstorms. On May 19, wind gusts in Colorado were
clocked to 67 mph in Durango and 59 mph in Aspen. Meanwhile, cool conditions covered much of the East and West. On May 21, daily record lows dipped to 34°F in Price, UT, and 39°F in Islip, NY. Other daily-record lows in Utah included 18°F (on May 20)
at Bryce Canyon Airport and 36°F (on May 23) in Ogden. Elsewhere, chilly weather accompanied Southeastern rain and cloudiness; high temperatures on May 20 included 48°F in Blacksburg, VA, and 55°F in GreenvilleSpartanburg, SC.
24-30: Elsewhere, near- or above normal temperatures covered the country, except for cooler-than-normal conditions in the south-central U.S. Weekly temperatures averaged at least 10°F above normal in several locations from California to the northern
Intermountain West, and from the lower Great Lakes region into northern New England. In contrast, readings averaged as much as 5°F below normal on the southern Plains. Record-setting warmth prevailed in parts of the West and from the Great Lakes region
into the Northeast. Daily record highs for May 24 rose to 90°F in Toledo, OH, and 87°F in Detroit, MI. Elsewhere in Michigan, consecutive daily-record highs (88 and 89°F, respectively) occurred on May 24-25 in Flint. May 25 (Memorial Day) featured
record-setting highs in locations such as Gilroy, CA (98°F), and Akron-Canton, OH (90°F). Burlington, VT, noted consecutive daily-record highs (92 and 95°F, respectively) on May 26-27; the latter reading also set a monthly record (previously, 93°F on
May 22, 1977, and May 18, 2017). May 26-27 was also highlighted by a pair of daily-record highs in California locations such as Sacramento (103°F both days) and Stockton (105°F both days). In southern California, Death Valley registered a daily record
high of 118°F on May 27, followed by a high of 120°F on May 28. Other triple-digit, daily-record highs in southern California on May 27 included 109°F in Barstow-Daggett and 106°F in Paso Robles. Late in the week, heat subsided in the Northeast but
expanded across the West. Still, Caribou, ME, noted its earliest reading above the 90-degree mark (91°F on May 28) since May 25, 2007. Meanwhile in Nevada, daily-record highs for May 29 surged to 104°F in Desert Rock and 100°F in Winnemucca. The high
in Winnemucca also set a monthly record, most recently attained with a high of 98°F on May 29, 2003. The week ended on May 29-30 with consecutive daily-record highs in Idaho locations such as Burley (96 and 94°F) and Twin Falls (94°F both days). On
the 30th, Salt Lake City, UT, not only experienced a daily-record high (98°F), but also remained above the 75-degree mark (low of 76°F) for the first time on record during any day in May. The Western heat occurred just a few days after Casper, WY,
notched consecutive daily-record lows (29 and 27°F, respectively) on May 24-25. Later, Hibbing, MN, closed the month with a pair of daily-record lows (30 and 27°F, respectively) on May 30-31.



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