The month of May finished warm and wet across much of the state, which was typical of spring. Both Minneapolis and St. Cloud recorded the second wettest May on record with 9.34" and 8.76" of rainfall, respectively. A large swath of Minnesota saw anywhere between two to four times normal precipitation for the month.
During the month, as much as ten inches of rain fell just west and north of the Twin Cities, causing area rivers to rise rapidly to near or at flood stage. The National Weather Service in Chanhassen recorded 11.23" of rainfall in May. Over half the days in May brought measurable rainfall.
Soggy conditions persisted through the second half of the meteorological spring with central Minnesota receiving more than normal rainfall for the season to eliminate drought concerns by the end of May across the same areas. The total precipitation in the Twin Cities from March to May this year was 13.78 inches, or 5.87 inches above normal. Precipitation at MSP as of May 31, 2012 is 15.85 inches.
May was also known to be a mild month. Nearly the entire state saw temperatures above the mean. The Twin Cities was 4.6 degrees above normal, with St. Cloud also checking in above normal at 3.8 degrees.
May contributed to the warmest spring on record for locations in central and southern Minnesota including the Twin Cities, St. Cloud and Rochester. The Twin Cities recorded a mean temperature of 54 degrees. Duluth tied the warmest spring on record, and International Falls had the fourth warmest spring. March 2012 was the main reason for the extremely warm spring, and nearly single-handedly carried the seasonal average to the number one warmest!
It was quite the unusually spring with a little bit of everything, from droughts to floods, and an unprecedented mild March! If spring was any indication, summer will be quite the three month ride. Buckle up!
RS
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