May Weather Was Hot and Dry

The weather in May was hot and dry across much of Powder River County. Overall precipitation levels in 2020 have been exceptionally dry, with 3.33" of precipitation falling in Broadus from January 1st through June 1st. The normal precip for the first five months of the year is 5.81", so we're at around half of normal. The driest year on record for that period is 1988, with 2.76" from Jan 1 to Jun 1. The wettest was 1978, with 10.28" during the same period. Last year's wet conditions didn't really start breaking records until June and July, where the precip totals started adding up fast, making for the wettest year on record, with 24.09" on the year.

In May of this year, Broadus received 1.43" of precipitation, compared to an average of 2.36" for the month.

The month ended with a record high of 96, on May 31st. This was also the high for the month. The previous record high on that date was 90, set in 1966. The average high for the month was around just over one degree above normal.

The record high for the month of May is 101, set on May 22nd, 1980, and matched on May 29th, 1988.

27 degrees was the low temperature for the month, on May 6th. This low would prove deadly for folks who had planted gardens and flowers outside early and didn't cover their plants. May 15th is generally considered the last freeze date in Broadus, when it is safe to plant.

Rainfall in May was spotty around the area. While Broadus received .51" of rain on May 21st, the Moorhead 9 miles NE station received none. That station received a paltry .95" of precip in May, compared to a normal of 2.34". The Moorhead station also reached 96 on May 31st, with the low for the month at 24, on May 6th. Additionally, the mercury fell to 32 on May 17th.

The Biddle 8 miles SW station was lacking in data from May 27th through the 31st, but still managed 1.76" of precip during the first 26 days of the month. The mercury fell to 24 there on the 6th, and on 14th hit the freezing mark at 32 degrees.

The Sonnette 7 miles SW station received at paltry .87" of moisture in May – this is often a wetter part of the county, with a normal May precipitation total of 2.60". The high at this station was 92, on the 31st, with a low at a chilly 17 degrees, on May 7th. The mercury dipped down to 29 on May 14th.

The Volborg station, which only records moisture, had 1.31" on the month, with a high of .51" falling on May 24th.

The Powderville 8 miles NNE station was a bright spot for precipitation in the official record stations in the area, with 2.34" of moisture in May. This compares to a normal monthly average of 2.29". The wettest day of the month was May 7th, with .59". The mercury climbed to 92 on May 31st for a monthly high, and dipped as low as 28 on May 6th.

While May is normally the wettest month of the year, with an average of 2.36" of precipitation in Broadus, the average for June is not far behind, with a 2.25" average. A number of storms have tracked around us in May, or dried up before reaching us. If this trend continues, we may be in for a tough year. If the skies unleash their moisture (preferably in the form of rain and not hail), we still have time for things to turn around.