May 2013 Revisited

May 2013 turned out to be:

Above average:  Temperature, rainfall
Average or near: Wind, solar radiation
Below Average: Nothing

My station's average temperature of 59.4° was way warmer than the long term May average of 56.2°, and way warmer than the more recent (2001-2012) average of 57.1°. The official average temperature in Hood River, recorded at HOXO, was 58.6°.  This was the 9th consecutive month with above average temperatures.

The maximum temperature (at my station) was 87°, and the low temp was 31°. Official Hood River highs and lows (at HOXO) were 88° and 31°.

The high heat index for the month was 86°, and the low wind chill was 31°.

Solar radiation averaged 534 Ly/day, compared to an average May of 543 Ly/day.

The first half of May started out with a very nice heat wave, which got all the vegetation's hopes up (and ours).   It was dry, but that was ok; a nice change from the May's we've had the past few years.

Things changed in the second half of the month.  Things cooled down, and the rains returned.  My station received 2.23" rain for the month, but HOXO officially recorded 1.80".   An average May receives 1.08". 
 
The max daily precipitation was May 29th, when my station recorded 0.82", and HOXO tallied up 0.58".

The 24 hour average wind speed at my weather station was 3.5 mph, compared to an average May wind speed of 3.6 mph.  The peak wind gust (at my location) was 29 mph on the 13th.  Wind speeds at other less sheltered locations (such as on the Columbia River) were, of course, higher.  

Barometric pressure peaked at 30.51", and the low barometric was 29.65".

There were 5 local weather records set this month!   On the mornings of May 7th and 8th, temperatures of 58° set new "high low" records.  The previous records were 57° (1992) and 55° (1971).   And then, as the heat wave continued, the record "high low" on May 11th was broken again.  58°, compared to the old record of 55° (1987).   And then again, on May 12th, another record "high low" was set.  On that day, the low temp was 59°, while the previous record was 57° (1993).

That's only 4 records, so here's the 5th:   On May 29th, HOXO received 0.58" of rain, breaking the old record for the date:  0.52", set way back in 1932.

These monthly summaries use data from my weather station located near May and Rand Streets in Hood River. To view my weather station's data for May 2013, click here.   For official Hood River data, and historical averages/records, the data comes from both the manually read NOAA station at MCAREC, and HOXO, the automated station located right next to MCAREC.