May 2018 Summary

Severe Thunderstorm Threat From the Central Plains to the Northeast; Extreme HeatRisk for the East Coast

Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible from the central Plains to the Northeast through this evening. Widespread damaging winds are the primary threat but hail and a tornado or two is also possible. Extremely dangerous heat continues across the Eastern U.S. Warm overnight low temperatures will provide little to no relief. Read More >

...Warmest May Ever Recorded...

Every single day of this month was warmer than normal at Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, and Frankfort, resulting in the warmest May this area has ever recorded.

The average temperature values in parenthesis below are the normal average temperatures for June:

Average Temperature

Departure from Normal

Rain

Departure from Normal

Bowling Green

74.6° (75.0°)

+8.2°

4.38"

-1.23"

Frankfort

72.9° (72.6°)

+9.0°

7.31"

+2.46"

Lexington

72.9° (72.7°)

+8.7°

7.49"

+2.23"

Louisville Bowman

74.6° (75.1°)

+8.3°

2.89"

-2.23"

Louisville International

76.0° (75.6°)

+8.9°

4.98"

-0.29"

Spotty thunderstorms frequently formed in the warm, humid air, resulting in very different monthly rainfall totals from one spot to the next. Fortunately severe weather was rare, until the last day of the month. On the 31st a line of powerful thunderstorms swept through the Ohio Valley and brought damaging winds and flash flooding to the region.

Records

3rd: Frankfort record warm low of 67°, Lexington record warm low of 67°, Louisville record warm low of 72°
4th: Bowling Green warm low of 69°
5th: Louisville record rainfall of 3.15"
11th: Bowling Green warm low of 70°
14th: Lexington record high of 90°, Louisville record high of 92°, Louisville record warm low of 72°
15th: Bowling Green record warm low of 70°, Frankfort record warm low of 70°, Lexington record high of 89°, Lexington record warm low of 68°, Louisville record warm low of 73°
16th: Louisville record warm low of 70°
20th: Louisville record high of 91°.
29th: Frankfort record warm low of 71°
30th: Frankfort record warm low of 72°, Lexington record warm low of 72°

Warmest May at Bowling Green, Frankfort, Lexington, and Louisville
10th wettest May at Lexington