Imagine getting through the month of May and not experiencing a single 70 degree day! Boston has yet to see a day with high temperatures in the 70s. We’ve had high temperatures in the 40s, 50s, 60s, 80s and 90s, but no 70s. That’s pretty unusual considering the average high temperature by the end of the month is 70. Even with the heat wave in Boston (and many other cities in New England) temperatures for the month are below average. Currently we are 0.9 degrees below average for the month. If you only calculated the average HIGH temperatures, we’d be significantly below average. Temperatures at night have been slightly warmer than normal (I guess that’s good news for the gardens – no frost or freezes). Why have we been so mild at night? Easterly winds off the ocean, cloudy skies and multiple rounds of rain. In order to have a chilly night, you need clear skies and no wind.
May has also been a wet month. Logan Airport has recorded 3.34” of rain (so far), which is nearly a half inch surplus. There have only been 8 entirely dry days this month. 70% of the month has featured at least a trace of rain. When you think of cloudy, damp, cool weather – what location do you think of? Seattle. Right? So far this May, Seattle has recorded 14 dry days! If you want more sunshine, I guess you have to move to the Pacific Northwest.
A lot is riding on this weekend forecast. It is the unofficial start to summer. We will see plenty of dry time, but the holiday weekend will be far from perfect. Sunday will be pretty nice – sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s. You’ll need the rain gear for the Memorial Day services and parades. Most forecast models give us a quarter to half inch of water on Monday.
Brighter times (and warmer times) are ahead. By midweek our shower chances decrease and we should see a bit more sunshine. Temperatures will return into the 70s by mid-week. (So we MIGHT see one day this May with high temperatures in the 70s).
