May 2026 Observations and Discussion

Andie · April 26

Firing up May!

North Texas is looking at beginning May with thunderstorms. Highs 68-71.
Rain chances 60%.

StormchaserChuck1 · April 26

It's that fun season for Texas!

Andie · April 26

Warnings just posted.

Oh yeah! We just yuck it up repairing the roof between hail storms.
This season seems to have more attitude. Gorgeous today but like all beauties, it comes with a price.

Clinton · April 27

13 hours ago, Andie said:

Firing up May!

North Texas is looking at beginning May with thunderstorms. Highs 68-71.
Rain chances 60%.

This would be a great way to kick off the month for ya.

Madtown · April 29

When is spring showing up?

Andie · April 29

NW of me Mineral Wells had a tornado. Destroyed some property but lifted back up.
60’s all day, some rain, but calmer.
Spring is here, Madtown.

Tom · April 29

46 minutes ago, Madtown said:

When is spring showing up?

Not in May!!

I was just coming on here to post this...what a way to open up May...whaddyaaa say some lake effect snow???

Clinton · April 29

It's tough to cover the whole state of Texas with rain at the same time but it could come close this weekend.

Madtown · April 29

6 hours ago, Tom said:

Not in May!!

I was just coming on here to post this...what a way to open up May...whaddyaaa say some lake effect snow???

Sleet snow today covered the ground...thankfully melted

Madtown · April 30

65 by the end of May maybe

Hoosier · April 30

How ugly is this. Stuck around 40 here in the afternoon on May 12. Fortunately it's a long way off so it could change.

Hoosier · April 30

The CFS has spoken for May. The precip prog looks kind of El Ninoey. Not sure if we can make the direct connection yet but in any case, it would be good news for the south given the widespread drought there.

jaster220 · April 30

43 minutes ago, Hoosier said:

The CFS has spoken for May. The precip prog looks kind of El Ninoey. Not sure if we can make the direct connection yet but in any case, it would be good news for the south given the widespread drought there.

BN sucks tho

Hoosier · April 30

12 minutes ago, jaster220 said:

BN sucks tho

Kind of figured we were going to pay for the warm spring at some point. Hopefully there is some more consistent warmth by the second part of May.

I forgot how cool last May was. I do recall having a low in the 30s at the beginning of June.

Hoosier · May 1

see pee see

StormchaserChuck1 · May 1

6 hours ago, Hoosier said:

Kind of figured we were going to pay for the warm spring at some point. Hopefully there is some more consistent warmth by the second part of May.

I forgot how cool last May was. I do recall having a low in the 30s at the beginning of June.

I remember on midnight June 1 it was 39F here!

hawkstwelve · May 1

Rome stay is wrapping up as we head for the cruise ship. Vatican was gorgeous and so was the Basilicia di Santa Maria Maggiore. Just stunning!

Looking forward to trading the city chaos of Rome with the tranquility of the Mediterranean. First stop tomorrow - Amalfi Coast. Salerno, Positano, and Capri!

Tom · May 1

6 hours ago, hawkstwelve said:

Rome stay is wrapping up as we head for the cruise ship. Vatican was gorgeous and so was the Basilicia di Santa Maria Maggiore. Just stunning!

Looking forward to trading the city chaos of Rome with the tranquility of the Mediterranean. First stop tomorrow - Amalfi Coast. Salerno, Positano, and Capri!

The Architecture is prestigious and something that I'd like to see in person myself. Enjoy the rest of your trip and thanks for sharing these photos.

tStacsh · May 1

May of 2018 started off like this. Then it got very hot for the second half.

Madtown · May 1

Snowflakes falling again this am..id be excited in Oct. It can stop now.

westMJim · May 1

Merry month of May

May is the fifth month of the year and here in the Northern Hemisphere it is the last month of spring. Late May typically marks the start of the summer vacation season in the United States and Canada. At Grand Rapids we start the month off with a length of day time of 14 hours and 7 minutes and end the month with 15 hours and 7 minutes for a gain of one hour.

In Grand Rapids the average high starts out at 64.3 and ends the month at 74.9. The average low starts out at 43.2 and ends the month at 53.8. The all-time high for May is 95 on May 31, 1934, on May 28, 2018 the high reached 94. The record low of 21 was set on May 1st, 1903. The most snow fall on any day in May is 5.5” and that amount fell on May 10th in 1902 and that same amount of 5.5” was reported on May 9th, 1923. On May 32nd 1929 3” of snow fell and in May of 1954 snow fell for 3 days in a row. The record wettest May is 10.01” and that fell in May of 2001 and the driest May was in 1936 when just 0.72” fell. Here are some May top 5’s There have been a total of 12 years when measurable snow fell in May The last time was on May 1st, 1994.

The average May mean at Grand Rapids is 59.2

Warmest mean temperature

1. 1977 65.7

2. 1896 65.3

3. 1982 65.0

4. 2018 64.8

5. 1991 64.6

Coldest mean temperature

1. 1997 50.3

2. 1924 50.7

3. 1945 50.7

4. 1947 51.1

5. 1917 51.7

Snowiest May’s of record

1. 1902 5.5”

2. 1923 5.5”

3. 1954 3.0”

4. 1940 0.8”

5. 1935 0.4”

Wettest May’s of record

1. 2001 10.01”

2. 2000 9.59”

3. 2004 9.29”

4. 1981 8.29”

5. 1911 7.18”

Driest May’s of record

1. 1936 0.72”

2. 2023 0.84”

3. 1987 0.94”

4. 1925 0.89”

5. 1961 1.03”

Last year the mean for May at Grand Rapids was 57.2 that was a departure from average of -2.2° the high for the month was 85 on the 15th There were 3 days of 80 or better 13 days of 70 or better there were 6 days of highs only in the 50’s the low for the month was 33 on the 9th there were 3 nights with lows of less than 40. The month had 3.35” of rainfall that is a departure from average of 0.65”

It looks like according to the CPC that May 2026 will be chilly and that is a common occurrence with a May leading into a strong or very strong El Nino.

https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/30day/

The overnight low here in my yard was 38 and the 7AM temperature is 39 with cloudy skies. There remains a good chance of a freeze tonight with lows around 30 and frost once again tomorrow with lows in the low 30’s next week looks cold with highs only in the 50’s and low in 30’s and lower 40’s there is a chance of rain each day.

Andie · May 1

10 hours ago, hawkstwelve said:

Rome stay is wrapping up as we head for the cruise ship. Vatican was gorgeous and so was the Basilicia di Santa Maria Maggiore. Just stunning!

Looking forward to trading the city chaos of Rome with the tranquility of the Mediterranean. First stop tomorrow - Amalfi Coast. Salerno, Positano, and Capri!

Hawk, Hope you can make it to Florence. Loads of goodies there. But it sounds like you’re swinging south. Maybe Capri? Beautiful down there. Great wine and food. Have a wonderful trip.

tStacsh · May 1

11 minutes ago, westMJim said:

Merry month of May

May is the fifth month of the year and here in the Northern Hemisphere it is the last month of spring. Late May typically marks the start of the summer vacation season in the United States and Canada. At Grand Rapids we start the month off with a length of day time of 14 hours and 7 minutes and end the month with 15 hours and 7 minutes for a gain of one hour.

In Grand Rapids the average high starts out at 64.3 and ends the month at 74.9. The average low starts out at 43.2 and ends the month at 53.8. The all-time high for May is 95 on May 31, 1934, on May 28, 2018 the high reached 94. The record low of 21 was set on May 1st, 1903. The most snow fall on any day in May is 5.5” and that amount fell on May 10th in 1902 and that same amount of 5.5” was reported on May 9th, 1923. On May 32nd 1929 3” of snow fell and in May of 1954 snow fell for 3 days in a row. The record wettest May is 10.01” and that fell in May of 2001 and the driest May was in 1936 when just 0.72” fell. Here are some May top 5’s There have been a total of 12 years when measurable snow fell in May The last time was on May 1st, 1994.

The average May mean at Grand Rapids is 59.2

Warmest mean temperature

1.       1977   65.7

2.       1896   65.3

3.       1982   65.0

4.       2018   64.8

5.       1991   64.6

Coldest mean temperature

1.       1997   50.3

2.       1924   50.7

3.       1945   50.7

4.       1947   51.1

5.       1917   51.7

Snowiest May’s of record

1.       1902   5.5”

2.       1923   5.5”

3.       1954   3.0”

4.       1940   0.8”

5.       1935   0.4”

Wettest May’s of record

1.       2001 10.01”

2.       2000   9.59”

3.       2004   9.29”

4.       1981   8.29”

5.       1911   7.18”

Driest May’s of record

1.       1936   0.72”

2.       2023   0.84”

3.       1987   0.94”

4.       1925   0.89”

5.       1961   1.03”

Last year the mean for May at Grand Rapids was 57.2 that was a departure from average of -2.2° the high for the month was 85 on the 15th There were 3 days of 80 or better 13 days of 70 or better there were 6 days of highs only in the 50’s the low for the month was 33 on the 9th there were 3 nights with lows of less than 40. The month had 3.35” of rainfall that is a departure from average of 0.65”

It looks like according to the CPC that May 2026 will be chilly and that is a common occurrence with a May leading into a strong or very strong El Nino.

https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/30day/

The overnight low here in my yard was 38 and the 7AM temperature is 39 with cloudy skies. There remains a good chance of a freeze tonight with lows around 30 and frost once again tomorrow with lows in the low 30’s next week looks cold with highs only in the 50’s and low in 30’s and lower 40’s there is a chance of rain each day.

I mentioned above May of 2018 started off cool for the most part and the second half was very warm. Still surprised it finished in the top 5 warmest. I know Minnesota hit 100 that May I believe as well.

Hoosier · May 1

5 minutes ago, tStacsh said:

I mentioned above May of 2018 started off cool for the most part and the second half was very warm. Still surprised it finished in the top 5 warmest. I know Minnesota hit 100 that May I believe as well.

I don't know if May 2018 is walking through the door this year, but I would expect moderation later in May.

Hoosier · May 1

Not sure I agree with this wording in the frost advisory from LOT. I think a decent number of spots could drop below 32 degrees, barring too much lingering cloud cover.

...FROST ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM CDT /2 AM EDT/ TO 8 AM
CDT /9 AM EDT/ SATURDAY...

* WHAT...Temperatures as low as 32 degrees Fahrenheit will result in
  frost formation.

* WHERE...Portions of east central, north central, and northeast
  Illinois and northwest Indiana.

* WHEN...From 1 AM CDT /2 AM EDT/ to 8 AM CDT /9 AM EDT/ Saturday.

* IMPACTS...Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive
  outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.

&&

$$

Yack

Clinton · May 1

Frost advisory is staying to the north but its a little to close for comfort. Upper 30s for my place tonight.

summerrules · May 2

On 4/30/2026 at 2:25 PM, Hoosier said:

Kind of figured we were going to pay for the warm spring at some point. Hopefully there is some more consistent warmth by the second part of May.

I forgot how cool last May was. I do recall having a low in the 30s at the beginning of June.

Last May was fairly warm in the first half and much below average in the second half IIRC. This year looks like it may be the inverse.

summerrules · May 2

2018 was funny because although May was a complete blowtorch that year, it was preceded by a very cold, nasty April. We literally went from winter straight to summer in a span of a couple weeks. It was a remarkable flip, one of the most extreme in history.

Hoosier · May 2

Already down to 38 imby with like 8-9 hours of cooling left.

summerrules · May 2

9 hours ago, tStacsh said:

I mentioned above May of 2018 started off cool for the most part and the second half was very warm. Still surprised it finished in the top 5 warmest. I know Minnesota hit 100 that May I believe as well.

May 2018 started off warm actually and stayed generally warm overall with only a few cooler days mid-month. The most notable, record-breaking warmth came during the final week of course, which is when Minnesota hit 100. Idk if we see anything like that this year, but I highly doubt this current pattern will persist throughout the entire month.

westMJim · May 2

We are off to a very cold start to May. The overnight low here in my yard and the current temperature is 29 with clear skies. If that was official it would be the coldest low in May since 2020. So far it has been warmer at the airport. The week ahead Monday looks to be the warmest day with highs maybe around 70, After that it will be cold with highs only in the 50’s and lows in the 30’s There is a chance of showers on Monday night and Tuesday.

The official H/L yesterday at Grand Rapids was 46/36 (that 46 is the 3^rd coldest high ever for May 1^st at Grand Rapids) there was no rainfall the highest wind gust was 22MPH out of the N. There were no significant weather events. For today the average H/L is 65/45 the record high of 86 was in 1959 the coldest high of 38 was in 1940 the record low of 22 was in 1909 the warmest low of 65 was in 2021. The most rainfall of 0.96” was in 1962 and the most snowfall of 3” was in 1929.

Some weather history for May 2^nd 1983 Severe thunderstorms spawned twenty tornadoes across Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York State. The tornadoes caused five deaths. (The Weather Channel) Here in Michigan, An F3 tornado tore through Macomb County (Eastpointe/St. Clair Shores) just after noon, causing roughly 25 million in damage. 1990 Fourteen cities in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina reported record high temperatures for the date as readings soared into the 90s. Tampa FL reported a record high of 97 degrees, and Fort Stewart GA was the hot spot in the nation with a reading of 100 degrees.

Tom · May 2

Not sure how low the thermometer dipped down to this morning but when I went outside not long ago there was still some heavy frost around.

PhiEaglesfan712 · May 2

Niko · May 2

I had to update my weather forum signature to include May after a trace of snow fell last nite. Crazy!

Niko · May 2

Currently a chilly 39F w a blend of sunshine and clouds. Looks and feels like late October.

Niko · May 2

On 5/1/2026 at 1:47 AM, hawkstwelve said:

Rome stay is wrapping up as we head for the cruise ship. Vatican was gorgeous and so was the Basilicia di Santa Maria Maggiore. Just stunning!

Looking forward to trading the city chaos of Rome with the tranquility of the Mediterranean. First stop tomorrow - Amalfi Coast. Salerno, Positano, and Capri!

Excellent pics. Thanks for sharing them!

Hoosier · May 2

3 hours ago, Tom said:

Not sure how low the thermometer dipped down to this morning but when I went outside not long ago there was still some heavy frost around.

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O'Hare and Midway got down to 32, but 20s were fairly widespread in the northern and central LOT cwa. I had a low of 28. LOT kind of dropped the ball on this one imo, and it was already becoming apparent yesterday evening. Could've gone with a freeze warning.

Other low temps this morning:

Rockford: 27

Aurora: 28

Waukegan: 27

DuPage: 29

Wheeling: 30

Valparaiso: 29

Hoosier · May 2

This is actually only the 2nd time in the past 20 years that ORD has had a low of 32 or colder in May. The other time was in 2020.

chescowxman · May 2

Below for the Philly burbs of Chester County PA are the all-time May climate records and below that the climate trends for the month. Based on the actual historical data (blue) our average May temperatures show a slight cooling trend since 1893 while the adjusted NCEI (red) temperatures indicate a very slight warming trendline.

Niko · May 2

Another Frosty nite tanite w temps tumbling into the upper 20s to lower 30s.

Briefly warms up early next week w another chilly airmass by mid-week period. Lows again dropping close to the freezing mark and highs will be well BN.