The cool, damp weather of the last week or so does not mean summer will not arrive soon.
National Weather Service Meteorologist Sam Herron said May has been wetter than normal, and precipitation could continue for the rest of the month. Herron said springtime weather patterns provide a lot of ups and downs.
“Just coincidentally, we’ve had some very slow moving weather systems come across the area,” Herron said. “And those have given us some prolonged periods where we’ve had some cloudy skies that have kind of kept temperatures down from as warm as they could be this time of year.”
Herron said this summer is on track to be warmer than usual due to muggy conditions, which means above average rainfall is possible throughout the region.
Herron said climate data actually shows above-average temperatures this spring, mostly because nighttime temperatures have been warmer than usual.
“In many ways, this is good because, you know, over the last few years we’ve been dealing with drought conditions,” Herron said. “Hopefully, this gets us built up so that if we do get into a hot summer, we’ll have a good water table built up to go into that and help mitigate any problems.”
Herron said people should remain diligent in staying safe through bad weather.
“We’ve had a few episodes of severe weather, so that risk is going to continue,” Herron said. “As people get outside more and do more outdoor activities, we encourage everyone to stay safe with thunderstorms. Lightning is always a hazard, so if you hear thunder, get into shelter and wait for the storms to pass.”
