FOR RELEASE: June 23, 1997
Contact: Blaine P. Friedlander, Jr.
Office: (607) 255-3290
Internet: [email protected]
Compuserve: Larry Bernard 72650,565
http://www.news.cornell.edu
ITHACA, N.Y. -- The phrase for spring 1997: Way cool!
Mt. Washington, N.H., had its old monthly snowfall record crushed for May
by a whopping 43.6 inches, beating the old record of 52.2 inches 30 years
ago. The new record is 95.8 inches. The Northeast's cool weather continued
through May, as the average temperature for the 12-state region was 4.4
degrees cooler than normal. For the Northeast, this was the fourth coolest
May in the last 103 years, according to Keith Eggleston, a climatologist at
the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University.
West Virginia and Pennsylvania enjoyed their third coolest May on record,
with monthly departures of -4.8 and -4.7 degrees respectively. Vermont had
the region's largest departure from the long-term average this month (-5.3
degrees), while Rhode Island reported the smallest difference from the
long-term average (-2.0 degrees).
The average temperature for the spring season (March through May) was 2.6
degrees cooler than normal and the ninth coolest spring on record for the
Northeast.
"May showed a pronounced lack of warm days," Eggleston said.
In Burlington, Vt., for example, there were only three days during the
month where the maximum temperature was above 70 degrees (28th, 29th and
31st). The average number of such days in May is 11, and the last time
there were fewer than three was in 1945. It was also the first May since
1983 when the mercury failed to reach 80 degrees at that location.
In New York City's Central Park, there was only one day this spring when
the temperature reached 80 degrees (83 degrees on May 19). The last time
there was only one such day in the spring was in 1928, when the surrounding
area was much less urbanized.
Rainfall was generally below normal around the region this month, according
to the NRCC. Delaware was the driest state, with 59 percent of its May
normal. The only state reporting an above normal statewide total was
Maine, with 116 percent of the normal May accumulation.
Monthly Average Temperature - Coldest May on RecordCity New Previous
Pittsburgh 54.2 54.3 in 1967
Elkins, W.Va. 52.4 52.6 in 1924Daily Low Temperature Records ("F" = degees Fahrenheit)
City Date New Previous
Burlington, Vt. (tie) 5th 27 F 27 F in 1924
Allentown, Pa. 8th 30 F 32 F in 1974
Baltimore (Airport) 8th 33 F 34 F in 1974
Williamsport, Pa. (tie) 8th 29 F 29 F in 1974
Wilmington, Del. (tie) 8th 35 F 35 F in 1947
Beckley, W.Va. (tie) 15th 35 F 35 F in 1984
Beckley, W.Va. 22nd 33 F 36 F in 1993
Elkins, W.Va. 22nd 29 F 31 F in 1907
Morgantown, W.Va. 23rd 35 F 36 F in 1967
Elkins, W.Va 23rd 30 F 30 F in 1971
Buffalo, N.Y. (tie) 26th 37 F 37 F in 1961
Hartford, Conn. 28th 38 F 39 F in 1974
Atlantic City (Airport), NJ 29th 37 F 40 F in 1992
Baltimore (Airport) 29th 41 F 42 F in 1956Daily High Temperature Record
City Date New Previous
National Airport, Va. (tie) 19th 96 F 96 F in 1911Monthly Snowfall Record for May (inches)
City New Previous
Mt. Washington, N.H. 95.8 52.2 in 1967Monthly Precipitation Record for May (inches)
City New Previous
Mt. Washington, N.H. 19.00 18.82 in 1984Daily Precipitation Record (inches) for May
City Date New Previous
Pittsburgh 25th 2.48 2.31 on May 24, 1973
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