...MAY 2015 MID-SOUTH CLIMATE SUMMARY...
The month of May 2015 was generally warmer and wetter than normal across the Mid-South. The later was especially true at both Jonesboro and Tupelo, who received 3.20 inches and 3.53 inches of precipitation above normal, respectively.
Jonesboro was the only site with a cooler than normal average temperature for the month at 1.1 degree cooler than normal. Jonesboro currently holds the greatest departure from normal for the year to date at 3.0 degrees cooler than normal. Memphis had the greatest departure from normal for May at 1.2 degrees warmer than normal, while currently situated 1.5 degrees cooler than normal for 2015. Jackson was only 0.4 degrees warmer than normal for May, but recorded the warmest temperature of the month of all the official sites with 90.0 degrees. In fact, Jackson and Tupelo are the only two sites to have hit 90.0 degrees this year. Conversely, Jackson also recorded the coolest temperature of all official sites with 40.0 degrees. For 2015 to date, Jackson is currently 1.8 degrees cooler than normal. Tupelo was 0.8 degrees warmer than normal during May, but is currently 1.3 degrees cooler than normal for the year.
Tupelo was the wettest site during May, receiving over 9.00 inches of rain, which made May 2015 the tenth wettest month of May on record for Tupelo. Currently for the year Tupelo is 7.81 inches of precipitation above normal. Jonesboro was not far behind, receiving 7.81 inches of precipitation for May, 3.20 inches above normal for the month. For 2015 to date, Jonesboro is 4.50 inches wetter than normal. Memphis received 6.02 inches of rain during May, 0.77 inches above normal; however, Memphis remains behind for the year at 4.06 inches drier than normal. Jackson recorded 5.69 inches of precipitation in May, only 0.20 inches above normal, while also being behind on precipitation for the year at 1.76 inches below normal.
The May climate data from the four official climate sites across the Mid-South are as follows:
TEMPERATURE DATA:
Memphis Jackson Jonesboro Tupelo
Average Temperature (MONTH) : 72.9 69.0 68.0 71.5
Normal Avg. Temp (MONTH) : 71.7 68.6 69.1 70.7
Departure from Normal (MONTH): 1.2 0.4 -1.1 0.8
Average Temperature (YEAR) : 53.6 50.2 48.6 53.6
Normal Avg. Temp (YEAR) : 55.1 52.0 51.6 54.9
Departure from Normal (YEAR) : -1.5 -1.8 -3.0 -1.3
Maximum Temperature : 88.0 90.0 86.0 90.0
Minimum Temperature : 48.0 40.0 41.0 45.0
PRECIPITATION DATA:
Memphis Jackson Jonesboro Tupelo
Total Precipitation (MONTH) : 6.02 5.89 7.81 9.09
Normal Precipitation (MONTH) : 5.25 5.69 4.61 5.56
Departure from Normal (MONTH): 0.77 0.20 3.20 3.53
Total Precipitation (YEAR) : 20.22 21.78 25.78 32.41
Normal Precipitation (YEAR) : 24.28 23.54 21.28 24.60
Departure from Normal (YEAR) : -4.06 -1.76 4.50 7.81
Percent of Normal : 83% 93% 121% 132%
Spring 2015 Review:
The end of May also marked the end of meteorological spring, which encompasses the months of March, April, and May. Overall, Spring 2015 was slightly warmer than normal at Memphis, Jackson, and Tupelo, while being cooler than normal at Jonesboro. Jonesboro was 1.4 degrees cooler than normal, the greatest spring departure of any site. Tupelo was 1.1 degrees warmer than normal, while Memphis and Jackson were 0.7 degrees and 0.2 degrees warmer than normal, respectively.
Perhaps the most interesting fact of all the Spring 2015 data is that both Jonesboro and Tupelo picked up more precipitation in those three months than Memphis has all year. In addition, Tupelo also received more rain this Spring than Jackson has all year. Tupelo received over 23.00 inches collectively in March, April, and May, which was 8.09 inches above normal for the season. Jonesboro picked up 20.95 inches of precipitation, a 6.82 inch departure above normal. Jackson was the nearest to normal, picking up 15.89 inches of precipitation, which was only 0.59 inches above normal. Finally, Memphis was the driest of all four sites this Spring, only picking up 14.57 inches of precipitation, 1.34 inches below the Spring normal.
The Spring 2015 climate data from the four official climate sites across the Mid-South are as follows:
TEMPERATURE DATA:
Memphis Jackson Jonesboro Tupelo
Average Temperature (Spring 15) : 63.6 60.1 58.3 63.4
Normal Avg. Temp (Spring) : 62.9 59.9 59.7 62.3
Departure from Normal (Spring 15): 0.7 0.2 -1.4 1.1
PRECIPITATION DATA:
Memphis Jackson Jonesboro Tupelo
Total Precipitation (Spring 15) : 14.57 15.89 20.95 23.25
Normal Precipitation (Spring) : 15.91 15.30 14.13 15.16
Departure from Normal (Spring 15): -1.34 0.59 6.82 8.09
Climate Outlook:
The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) outlook for the month of June has most of the region, with the exception of portions of west Tennessee and extreme northeast Mississippi, with enhanced odds of below normal temperatures. The portions of west Tennessee and extreme northeast Mississippi excluded from this have equal chances of above, near, and below normal temperatures for the month of June. For precipitation, the CPC outlook has all of north Mississippi with enhanced odds of above normal precipitation for the month of June, with the rest of the region having equal chances of above, near, and below normal precipitation totals.
For the three month outlook, encompassing the months of June, July, and August, the CPC outlook has enhanced odds of below normal temperatures for eastern Arkansas and the Missouri Bootheel, with equal chances of above, near, and below normal temperatures for west Tennessee and north Mississippi. The three month precipitation outlook has all of eastern Arkansas, the Missouri Bootheel, north Mississippi, and extreme southwest Tennessee (including the Memphis metro) in an area of enhanced odds for above normal precipitation. The rest of west Tennessee has equal chances of above, near, and below normal precipitation totals through the summer months.
MAYE
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