May 2020 Observations and Discussion

[Niko]

Detroit is smashing records all over the pl. Received 0.5" of snow from last nights storm. Now we are under a freeze warning for tanite w temps dropping into the 20s once again. Here in Macomb, I would say the same amount fell, if not slightly more. This would have been a classic snowstorm had it been Winter w tons of snow.

 

Attm,temps are in the mid 30s w snowshowers on May 11th. There is snowcover on grassy surfaces and rooftops and cartops currently. More records are expected to be broken tanite in SEMI.

 

Cant wait for the 70s to arrive by the weekend. Enough already!

[Niko]

As I am sipping my morning Greek coffee and getting ready for my morning meetings on zoom, I just ran through my extended quickly and it looks pretty good tempwise. Lets hope these 70s move in here for good.

 

Attm 36F w sscattered snowshowers around!

[CentralNebWeather]

Had to turn on the heat this morning. House dropped to 57 degrees overnight and air temperature outside is 39 degrees with heavy clouds and rain forecasted this afternoon. Sounds like it will all reverse next week and the A/C’s will be cranking.

[westMJim]

At this time, it is cloudy here at Grand Rapids with a temperature of only 41. Across the state temperatures run from just 32 at the Sault to 44 at Marshal. In the UP and northern lower Michigan temperatures are stuck in the 30’s even with full sun.

https://www.exploremunising.com/web-cams/

and

https://www.mtu.edu/webcams/

Well it is time for me to put on my winter coat and go for a walk.

[Hawkeye]

The euro has shifted the late-week heavy rain south a bit, with much of the rain remaining southeast of me.

[Tom]

The models continue to advertise a summer-like pattern next Mon/Tue with DP's surging to almost 70F up into Upper MW.  Lot's of folks will be turning on their A/C's for the first time this year.  The 00z Euro has temps peaking into the upper 80's for Chicago late next week...why not???

 

The only bit of concern for the major holiday weekend is that the pattern turns very active across the heartland and what looks to be a wild period of potential multi-day severe wx.  Both the GEFS/EPS are firing up the chances of heavy precip as I'm sure the farmers will gladly appreciate the moisture because it has been fairly dry of late across the Plains/MW.

[Tom]

If you look back at the last 2 weeks a broad area of the central ag belt has been very dry...if trends continue, nature is going to put an end to this starting this week into next week.

 

 

 

[westMJim]

NEW RECORD LOW??? It looks like a new record low may have been set at Muskegon. The looks to have been 29 this morning at Muskegon and if that becomes official it will set a new record low. The overnight low both here at my house and at the airport was 29. While not a new record low it was none the less the 3^rd coldest low of any May 12^th at Grand Rapids. At this time the mean at Grand Rapids is 47.5 and that is a departure of -7.9°

[bud2380]

I completed my move  yesterday of a couple miles away to Tiffin, IA.  So I'll be reporting from there from now on.  I hope to get my thermometer back up soon and I'll finally get a new rain gauge.  Although the high school less than 1 mile from my house has a weather station from a local TV station and will provide more accurate data than I will be able to.

[Niko]

Another daily record snowfall was broken today at Detroit Metro when a trace fell this morning on May 12th. Just amazing stuff.

 

Btw: Under a Freeze Warning for tanite as temps drop into the 20s once again.

[Niko]

Highs today topped off at 60F w plentiful sunshine. Next week features temps that might be approaching the 80 degree mark. Finally, some warmth coming!

[Niko]

Freeze Warning

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGENational Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac MI1226 PM EDT Tue May 12 2020MIZ053-060>063-068>070-075-076-082-083-131200-/O.NEW.KDTX.FZ.W.0003.200513T0400Z-200513T1200Z/Saginaw-Shiawassee-Genesee-Lapeer-St. Clair-Livingston-Oakland-Macomb-Washtenaw-Wayne-Lenawee-Monroe-Including the cities of Saginaw, Owosso, Flint, Lapeer,Port Huron, Howell, Pontiac, Warren, Ann Arbor, Detroit, Adrian,and Monroe1226 PM EDT Tue May 12 2020...FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 8 AM EDTWEDNESDAY...* WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 25 expected.* WHERE...Portions of southeast Michigan where the growing season  has started, mainly along and south of the I-69 corridor.* WHEN...From midnight tonight to 8 AM EDT Wednesday.* IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions will kill crops, other  sensitive vegetation, and possibly damage unprotected outdoor  plumbing.

[Tom]

Yay!  First day in a LONG time whereby the valley will be experiencing a temp Below Normal...expecting a high around 91F (94F normal).  Another bit of good news...the pools and gyms open today!  Win-Win in my book...finally, some exciting news to get our lives back to normal.  

[westMJim]

The overnight low both here at my house and at the airport was 31. I hope this is the last time it gets down to freezing until October. At this time it is 40 here and clear. 

[St Paul Storm]

That potential ridge building out west looks legit. We haven't even reached the 80F mark yet here (about 3 weeks late) but there's a chance we might hit both 80F and 90F for the first time in back to back days next week. 

[westMJim]

That potential ridge building out west looks legit. We haven't even reached the 80F mark yet here (about 3 weeks late) but there's a chance we might hit both 80F and 90F for the first time in back to back days next week. 

It has not reached 80 here yet either.  I had to look twice but the average first 80 day and the average last 32 day here are both May 1st it got down to 32 here this AM but the warmest so far in 2020 here at Grand Rapids is 75 and that happened way back on April 7th.

[Tom]

That potential ridge building out west looks legit. We haven't even reached the 80F mark yet here (about 3 weeks late) but there's a chance we might hit both 80F and 90F for the first time in back to back days next week. 

Certainly has that 2018 repeat in the cards...the models are painting a massive central CONUS ridge later next week but some signs that a trough might want to creep down around Memorial Day.  The EPS isn't looking that good for you guys up north but still plenty of time to see what happens then.

 

Meanwhile, back home the high rez models are painting some very intense storms for later tomorrow and possible training storms...

 

 

 

[St Paul Storm]

Certainly has that 2018 repeat in the cards...the models are painting a massive central CONUS ridge later next week but some signs that a trough might want to creep down around Memorial Day.  The EPS isn't looking that good for you guys up north but still plenty of time to see what happens then.

 

Meanwhile, back home the high rez models are painting some very intense storms for later tomorrow and possible training storms...

 

Tom, don't rain on my parade with talk of a Memorial Day trough. I just want a few days of 'normal' temps.  I'm still running the furnace every morning! haha

[Tom]

Tom, don't rain on my parade with talk of a Memorial Day trough. I just want a few days of 'normal' temps.  I'm still running the furnace every morning! haha

Holy freek!  Man, those 70's and 80's in your 7-day are going to feel soooo nice.

 

Meantime, both NAM's are highlighting a rather strong line of storms for Chitown tomorrow....

 

 

 

 

[james1976]

Really wish I could get a thunderstorm. Crappy showers is about all I get it seems. Hoping the more summer like weather will brew up some legit storms for my area.

[bud2380]

Lot of rain in eastern Iowa over the next few days

 

[Niko]

Attm, sunny skies and very pleasant w temps holding in the mid 50s. Still averaging a good 15 degrees BN.

[clintbeed1993]

We don't get anything for severe weather here anymore..I don't know what's going on but it's been really quiet for the last decade in general. This spring is even quieter than the already boring last several. YAWN..

[james1976]

I'm actually getting a thunderstorm! Nice rumbles and occasional lightning. Steady rain comin down.

[james1976]

Been steady rain for 2 1/2 hours straight and occasional thunder and lightning. Glad I complained about not getting thunderstorms earlier. The man upstairs was listening!

[james1976]

Rain just stopped. Just dumped out a very nice 0.70" exactly. Should be good for that grass seed I'm trying to get growin!

[Tom]

Boy, this "cool" down we have been experiencing is certainly noticeable coming off of days with high temps in the low 100's  Yesterday, we topped out at 91F at Sky Harbor but only into the upper 80's where I'm at.  Our pool officially opened back up and people were already in it bright and early yesterday morning around 7:00am swimming laps!  It felt like a holiday out there as gyms also opened.  Traffic has noticeably increased over the course of this week.

 

Back home, my place has been getting hit by rounds of storms and the line that's coming through this morning has been electric.  I love morning boomers especially when nature provides a light show!

 

 

 

High rez models are still painting quite the corridor of heavy rain across N IL....

 

 

[Tom]

The JMA weeklies are showing a trough over the northern Sub Week 2 and rather wet/active pattern heading into June.  No real HEAT showing up for any extended periods like we saw in 2018. 

 

Week 2...

 

Temps

 

Precip...

 

 

 

Week 3-4...pool of cool over the heartland...if its going to rain a lot over the next few weeks, this will bode well for any real heat to build across the Plains next month.  I've been watching @BAMWx and they are suggesting a HOT June but model guidance is showing quite the opposite.  The MJO is forecast to head into Phase 7/8 which are cooler phases in the Week 2-3 range.

 

 

Temps...

 

 

 

 

Precip...

 

[westMJim]

At this time there is rain falling with a temperature of 47. It is rather dark as well. While there is some moderate rain over the lake and some good returns near Chicago. It looks like the heaviest of the rain will stay just to the south of GR at this time.

[Stormy]

Picked up only 0.39" of rainfall overnight with plenty of rumbling thunder, mostly just to my south from heavier storms that missed. Many places to my east already got well over 1". Hoping to do better this afternoon, but need some sunshine to get things cooking. Still looking good for storms in se. Iowa later according to some models. Had fog that is lifting, but it still is very damp and humid with a dew of 60° now.

[Tom]

Boy, Chicago is getting raked with training storms and torrential downpours...I'm sure a lot of places have gotten well over 1" so far.

[james1976]

Picked up .09" overnight for a total of 0.79" so far. Not expecting much today though as the good stuff looks like it will be to my south and east.

[Hawkeye]

It is kind of a bust here.  I picked up 0.43", but most of the rain and all the storms missed south and east.  As you go sw from Cedar Rapids, almost no rain fell.  Today doesn't look good for rain here, either, with much of the action remaining south and east.

 

Saturday looks like a washout, but I don't know if we'll get any thunder.  It may be late May before I see another thunderstorm.

[Niko]

Lotta rain today w some severe weather!!!

 

Attm, a chilly 48F!

[Niko]

Yesterday felt very nice outside. Hopefully this pattern change will cease the cold air that we have been encountering this first half of May.

[Niko]

Ahhhhhhh.......That is what Im talking abouttttttttt y'all !!!!!

[St Paul Storm]

hmmmm......what's that east coast system doing on some of the models early next week? Seems to potentially slow down the pattern change and the massive warmup in the heartland. 

[james1976]

hmmmm......what's that east coast system doing on some of the models early next week? Seems to potentially slow down the pattern change and the massive warmup in the heartland.

No doubt. GFS looks wet for next couple weeks.

[Tom]

hmmmm......what's that east coast system doing on some of the models early next week? Seems to potentially slow down the pattern change and the massive warmup in the heartland. 

Omega Block looks to hold things up for some peeps....

[Minny_Weather]

The line is coming thru right now. Your routine thunderstorm pretty much. 62.1°F.