May 2022: After last month’s lack of precipitation May came though in a big way with nearly four and a half inches of liquid and nearly three feet of snow. The month started well with an inch
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May 2022: After last month’s lack of precipitation May came though in a big way with nearly four and a half inches of liquid and nearly three feet of snow. The month started well with an inch in the first week but settled into a dry pattern for two weeks. By the 20th the flood gates opened as a series of disturbances moving out of the west brought a week of rain and heavy snow. This was followed by another series in the last week that added over an inch of liquid. May is one of our wettest months, however the total this month was overshadowed by nine May-totals in the last 55 years. The largest was 7.84 inches in 1995.
Temperature: Wild variations in temperature, both warm and cold made May exactly normal. The average high was 57F with a low of 34F. This was right at normal. The warmest high was 74F on the 11th; the coldest low was 21F on the 21st. Coldest high was 36F on the 21st.
Precipitation: Three major events were key to our totals. From the 1st to the 4th we had six inches of snow melting out to one inch. The big event was from the 20th to the 24th where two disturbances combined to drop 16 inches of snow melting out to over two inches. The coup de grace was the event on 30- 31 May where precip totaled 1.2 inches out of four inches of thick wet snow. There was even some hail in some of the thunderstorms. Total precip was 4.47 inches and 35.5 inches of snow for the month.
Winds: Each of the storms brought some windy days with winds peaking at 47mph on the 19th. Six days were classified as windy. A normal May has only three.
Other Features: The big snow event produced such heavy wet snow that many of the leafed-out trees mostly at lower elevations lost limbs and in some cases were toppled. Up here our pines and aspens fared well.
Outlook for June: In June we bid farewell to the main storm track so things warm up and conditions turn drier. Average high is 71F with an average low of 41F. Rain totals 1.78 inches with only a smidgen of snow. We have only three windy days. The long range models are indicating a more inactive period for the first week. An organized disturbance is likely on the 9th to 10th. From the middle to end of the month we expect warmer and drier conditions.
