SUBJECT: The Heat Goes On
St. Cloud May 1998 and Spring 1998 Weather Summary
The heat continued in Saint Cloud during May 1998. The average
temperature of 62.2 degrees marked the 7th warmest May on record and
was more than 6 1/4 degrees above normal. The high temperatures in May
were the most extreme (5.5 degrees above normal). The extreme high
temperatures included 3 days of highs of 90 degrees or higher, the
first time that this has happened since 1934. The high temperature of
94 on May 18 was the highest May temperature recorded in almost 30 years
(May 27, 1969 had a high of 97 degrees). The 3 90-degree days are already
as many, if not more, than 3 other years in the '90's. The normal number
of 90 degree days for May is 0.5 and for the year is 10.7 (see tables
below). Only 1995 of the 1990's has had more than the average 90 degree
days. 1998 is off to the fast start, but long range forecasting does not
work well during the summer and the immediate forecast is a return to
normal or below normal temperatures this week.
Only 3 days in May (22, 24, 31) had average temperatures below
normal and only 5 days this May (8, 22, 24, 30, 31) had high temperatures
below normal.
The warm conditions in May helped to account for the 8th warmest
spring (March 1-May 31) on record. The average spring temperature of
47.0 degrees was more than 5.5 degrees above normal and was the warmest
spring since 1987.
The heavy rain and thunderstorms on Saturday bumped the May preci-
pitation above normal by about 1/2 inch. Since the dominant form of
precipitation is thunderstorms, rainfall accumulation around Central
Minnesota will vary. The rain gauge at SCSU picked up almost 3/4 inch
more rain in May (4.41 inches) with the biggest discrepancy on the 18th
(airport .06 in, SCSU .38 in).
===========================================================================
MAY 1998 STATISTICS MAY 1998 NORMAL
TEMPERATURE
Average High 75.9 68.4
Average Low 48.5 43.4
Average Temp 62.2* 55.9
Warmest high temperature 94 on the 18th (record; see below)
warmest May high since 27 May 1969 (97)
Coldest high temperature 61 on the 31st
Mildest low temperature 63 on the 14th (record; see below)
Coldest low temperature 38 on the 1st,6th
*8th Warmest May in St. Cloud history
RAINFALL (in) 3.67 3.16
Most in 24 hours 1.19 on the 8th
RECORDS SET:
Daily warmest high temperature: 90 (tie) on the 17th (tied record from 1972)
94 on the 18th (old record: 90 in 1911)***
Daily warmest low temperature: 63 on the 14th (old record: 60 in 1944, 1962)
***warmest May high since May 27, 1969
SPRING STATISTICS SPRING 1998 NORMAL
Average Temperature 47.0** 42.3
Total Melted Precip(in) 7.59 6.92
**7th warmest spring in St. Cloud history (105 yrs)
DAYS WITH 90+ DEG HIGHS IN MAY
==============================
5 1900
5 1934
4 1911
4 1913
4 1926
3 1925
3 1998 <---6TH (TIE), MOST SINCE 1934
DAYS WITH 90+ DEG HIGHS (YEAR) IN 1990'S
========================================
15 1995
9 1991
5 1996
4 1990
4 1997
3 1992
3 1994
3 1998
1 1993
AVG NUMBER OF 90+ DEG DAYS PER YEAR: 10.7
AVG NUMBER OF 90+ DEG DAYS IN MAY: 0.5
ST. CLOUD TEMPS--SPRING (118 YEARS; AVG = 42.3 F; SDEV = 2.9 F)
WARMEST COLDEST
50.0 F 1977 34.4 F 1888
49.1 F 1910 35.8 F 1950
48.7 F 1987 37.3 F 1907
47.8 F 1911 37.5 F 1943
47.3 F 1985 37.6 F 1996
47.1 F 1902 37.7 F 1940
47.0 F 1998 <-- 7TH WARMEST; 37.7 F 1965
46.3 F 1889 WARMEST SINCE 37.9 F 1893
46.3 F 1988 1987 38.0 F 1975
46.3 F 1918 38.2 F 1897
ST. CLOUD TEMPS--MAY (118 YEARS; AVG = 56.1 F; SDEV = 3.7 F)
WARMEST COLDEST
66.2 F 1934 47.2 F 1907
64.4 F 1887 49.2 F 1945
64.4 F 1977 49.4 F 1924
63.6 F 1988 49.8 F 1885
63.2 F 1881 50.2 F 1954
62.7 F 1911 50.4 F 1967
62.6 F 1939 50.5 F 1888
62.2 F 1998 <-- 8TH WARMEST; 50.5 F 1947
61.8 F 1900 WARMEST SINCE 50.9 F 1892
61.4 F 1926 1988 51.1 F 1997
=============================================================================
Bob Weisman, Professor/Meteorologist SUPERVISOR: Shirley (age 6)
Earth Sciences Department PHONE: (320) 255-3247
MS 48 FAX: (320) 255-4262
Saint Cloud State University EMAIL: scsweisman@tigger.
720 4th Avenue South stcloudstate.edu
Saint Cloud, Minnesota 56301-4498
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