May Climate Review across Southern Colorado

May of 2019 continued to be a roller coaster month for weather across the state, with a few spells of warm and dry weather, along with periods of unseasonably cold and strong weather systems bringing abundant rain and snow across the area, as well as bouts of severe weather across the southeast Plains. 

For the month of May as a whole, below to well below normal temperatures and generally above normal precipitation were experienced across the south central and southeast Colorado, save for pockets of at and below normal precipitation across the southeast Plains.    

The following graphics depict monthly temperature and precipitation departures from normal across the state for the past month of May.

The preliminary average temperature in Alamosa for the past month of May was 47.5 degrees. This is 3.7 degrees below normal and makes May of 2019, tied with May of 1995, as the 10th coldest May on record in Alamosa.  This, however, is well above the coldest average May temperature of 44.1 degrees, recorded through out May of 2014. Alamosa recorded 0.93 inches of precipitation through out the month of May, which is 0.35 inches above normal. Alamosa recorded 6.3 inches of snow through out the month of May. This is 5.4 inches above normal and makes May of 2019 the 7th snowiest May on record in Alamosa. This, however, is well below the 13.5 inches of snow that fell through out May of 1978. 

The 6.3 inches of snow recorded in May brings the 2018-19  seasonal snowfall tally in Alamosa to 54.9 inches. This is 27.3 inches above normal and makes the 2018-2019 season the 5th snowiest on record in Alamosa, thus far.  This, however, remains well behind the snowiest season on record, 1972-1973, when 97.5 inches of snow fell in Alamosa. 

The preliminary average temperature in Colorado Springs for the past month of May was 51.6 degrees. This is 4.3 degrees below normal and makes May of 2019, tied with May of 1904 and 1943, as the 13th coldest May on record in Colorado Springs. This, however, is well above the coldest May on record, 1917, when the average monthly temperature was only 46.7 degrees. Colorado Springs recorded 2.49 inches of precipitation through out the month of May, which is 0.46 inches above normal. Colorado Springs also recorded 5.1 inches of snow in the month of May. This is 4.4 inches above normal and makes May of 2019 the 7th snowiest May on record in Colorado Springs. This, however, is well behind the 19.4 inches of snow that fell through out May of 1978.  

The 5.1 inches of snow recorded in May brings the 2018-19  seasonal snowfall tally in Colorado Springs to 36.2 inches, which is 1.5 inches below normal to date. 

The preliminary average temperature in Pueblo for the past month of May was 56.3 degrees. This is 4.1 degrees below normal and makes May of 2019 the 9th coldest May on record in Pueblo. This, however, remains well above the coldest May, 1917, when the average monthly temperature was only 53.2 degrees. Pueblo recorded 2.17 inches of precipitation through out the month of May, which is 0.68 inches above normal  Pueblo recorded a trace of snow through out the month of May, which is 0.5 inches below normal. 

The trace amount of snow recorded in May keeps the 2018-19  seasonal snowfall tally in Pueblo at 17.0 inches, which is 14.8 inches below normal to date.  This also keeps the 2018-2019 season the 12th least snowiest on record in Pueblo, thus far. This, however, remains well above the least snowiest snowfall season of 1934-35, when only 7.6 inches of snow was recorded in Pueblo.

Looking ahead into June,  in Alamosa, the average high temperature and low temperature of 74 degrees and 37 degrees on June 1st,  warm to 82 degrees and 44 degrees by the end of the month. The average temperature for the month of June in Alamosa is 59.6 degrees. Alamosa averages 0.49 inches of precipitation and 0.0 inches of snow through out the month of June.  

In Colorado Springs, the average high temperature and low temperature of 74 degrees and 47 degrees on June 1st,  warm to 84 degrees and 55 degrees by the end of the month. The average temperature for the month of June in Colorado Springs is 65.1 degrees. Colorado Springs averages 2.50 inches of precipitation and 0.0 inches of snow through out the month of June.   

In Pueblo,  the average high temperature and low temperature of 82 degrees and 49 degrees on June 1st, warm to 92 degrees and 57 degrees by the end of the month. The average temperature for the month of June in Pueblo is 70.0 degrees. Pueblo averages 1.36 inches of precipitation and 0.0 inches of snow through out the month of June.        

Below is the Climate Prediction Center's (CPC) temperature and precipitation outlook for the month of June, which gives better chances for below normal temperatures across southeast Colorado, along with equal chances of above, below and near normal temperatures across south central Colorado. The CPC precipitation outlook for the month of June gives better chances of  above normal precipitation across all of south central and southeast Colorado.