Not a lot to write other than our weather was warm and dry.  By now, you've all heard from the NWS and media that this was the warmest spring on record for the United States.  And most stations in our region are suffering a lack of rainfall after a wet April.  But those of you who suffered drought last year say that May wasn't as bad this year.

As the low pressure track takes a more northerly trek across the nation this summer, let's hope beneficial rains fall from thunderstorms and from the occasional passing of a tropical system.

Of significant but more localized note during May, an upper air low spun SSE from the Great Lakes on Memorial Day along its trek across WV then into western NC and on eastward to just offshore NE NC and SE VA where it went through cyclogenesis.  While the impact of this storm affected few of you, the unusually late nor'easter produced minor flooding in SE VA but more significant flooding and wash over along the Outer Banks of NC.  Most noticeably, heavy rains fell over the area with 1 to 4" over SE VA and 5 to 10" in isolated areas over NE NC.  This storm produced above normal rainfall totals for the affected areas, a distinct contrast to the dry conditions elsewhere.

NEW!!!  MEMBER PROFILES

This month, we add another Member Profile.  Already we've featured Jim Fentress of Norfolk and this month we spotlight Joyce Winfree of Newmarket, Virginia.  Please look for this feature we plan to add on occasion.
 

PAUL NEEDS HELP!! ("But we all knew that!")

Paul Bassett is looking for any and all manuals and schemata for the Bendix (now Belfort) Model 130 (military version of the 120) Aerovane.   Just click on his name to send him an email if you have any info.  If you receive this summary via USPS, just mail any info in with your next report.

SENDING YOUR MONTHLY NOTES VIA EMAIL

If you have email, then it would really help me if you could send your monthly notes section via the Internet.  Many of you already do this and I can easily copy and paste.  Some of you still send in your handwritten forms but you also have email.  Please continue sending in those forms but just drop me an email at the first of the month with your notes if you can work this in to your schedule.  Such e-notes would save me typing time!

NOTES FROM "AROUND THE LEAGUE"

Virginia:

Annandale -  Lowell reports: "May was a little on the warm side with 1/3 of the month being well above the ave. temp. Rain dep. was
-0.68 inch.   The rain was a little below ave. but was evenly spread out over the month making the amt. seem more than recorded amt.   The average Max. temp. was 78.1^o  which was about 3^o  above the average and the highest since May 1991. There were 14 days that the maximum temp. was +> 85^o  which was the most since 1991.  The average Mean  temp. was 67.4^o  which was the second  highest since May 1991.  The  worst storm came on the 10th with many lightning flashes and a short period of hail up to 3/8 inch in diameter.  The 36mph wind on the 10th was the highest wind recorded in month of May since 1993."

Arlington - NWS WBC notes DCA's mean temp was 1.4^o above normal while the rainfall departure was -0.58".  Year-to-date precip was 2.94" in excess of the norm.

Blacksburg/Roanoke/Lynchburg Area - OVERALL FOR THE MONTH OF MAY...TEMPERATURES WERE ABOVE NORMAL ON AN AVERAGE AND THE PRECIPITATION FELL BELOW NORMAL FOR THE MONTHLY AVERAGE. LOOKING BACK...THE MONTH OF MAY DISPLAYED  A STORMY AND UNSETTLED NATURE, PROVIDING SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA WITH SOME MUCH NEEDED PRECIPITATION. A VERY TYPICAL SPRINGTIME SCENARIO. WARM RECORD BREAKING TEMPERATURES OCCURRED THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS OVER MUCH OF THE AREA PROVIDING THE UTILITY COMPANIES WITH A BOOST IN REVENUES AS AIR CONDITIONERS WERE A CONSTANT.  BY MID MONTH A STRONG COLD FRONT SWEPT THROUGH THE REGION PRODUCING SEVERE WEATHER.  THERE WERE REPORTS OF TREES DOWN IN CAMPBELL AND BUCKINGHAM COUNTIES. IN ADDITION TO HIGH WIND DAMAGE, HAIL OCCURRED  OVER SURRY, PATRICK AND WILKES COUNTIES WITH THE SIZES RANGING FROM 1 TO 1 3/4 INCHES IN DIAMETER. BY THE NEXT DAY AFTER FRONTAL PASSAGE OCCURRED, HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE 15-20 DEGREES COOLER OVER THE REGION...MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE FOR MOST OF US.

In Blacksburg, the monthly mean temp was 3.4^o above normal while precip was 2.33" above normal.

Bridgewater - Clayton notes:  " May was both dry and wet. The first half of the month, only .32 inches of precipitation fell. During the last half, we received 2.99 inches.  The precipitation for the month was .66 inches below normal, and the temperature was 3.8 degrees above normal. Precipitation for the year is 3 inches below normal.   With the recent rains, the lawns are quite green, and the gardens are growing. We don't want another drought like last year!"

Centerville - Paul writes, "Went to FL 8-17th to avoid the heat in Virginia.  Ok, Ok but it was a "dry" heat.  Boy was it dry!  We in Centerville were on the dry side too with about 70% of the norm.  Average daily temp was 8% above the norm while nights were 13% greater than average.  From now on I think I'll stick to November for my FL trip.  From Tampa north to Tallahassee there is no moisture.  The difference is very noticeable compared to years past."  Paul's summary also notes his average temp was 4.9^o above the norm.

Dulles - The monthly mean temp, according to NWS WBC, was 2.4^o  above normal while precip for the month was 1.45" below.
Rainfall for the year-to-date at month's end was 1.11" below the norm.

Falls Church - Erica notes: "May 2000 was slightly above normal temperature wise and around normal for its rainfall.  From May 5-13 we saw our hottest days followed by cooler weather for the rest of the month."

Fredericksburg - Ken reports "the high temps for the 1st 13 days averaged 85.8^o including 4 days of over 90^o while the highs for the rest of the month averaged 72.5^o.  This was due primarily to a greatly increased incidence of clouds and rain."

Hampton - Dave reports the month was warm and dry for two thirds of the month until a cooling and wetter pattern prevailed beginning around the 20th.  No precip occurred until then.  A strong coastal storm brought much needed rain with minor coastal flooding over the Memorial Day Holiday.  Station records established:  record low max of 58^o on the 29th and record wind gust 54 mph on the 29th.

Herndon - Bob notes subnormal but beneficial precip with good timing.

Lynchburg - From NWS BCB: The monthly mean temp was 1.2^o above normal.  Rainfall was 1.89" below the norm.

New Market - Temperatures have been "crazy" this month. We have broken three records on for high temperature (on 8th, 9th and 12th).  And on the 4th we tied the high record.  The last few days were so damp and rainy, we had to turn the furnace on to get rid of the dampness in the house.  We are +2^o  warmer for month with the mean high and about +10^owarmer for the mean low. - Joyce

Newport News - Gary reports a warm and dry first half of the month while the second half was cool and wet.  We set or tied record highs on the 5th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, and 13th.

Norfolk - From NWS AKQ:  The monthly mean temp was 4.2^o above the norm while rainfall was only 0.24" in excess of the norm.  The average wind speed was 10.9 MPH.

Portsmouth - A warm May here with temps averaging 3.1^o above the norm.  Rainfall was 138 % of the norm or +1.55" and was mainly due to the heavy rains from the Memorial Day low pressure system .  Abundant new station records in the heat.  Without going into a long list, here is the condensed version:  the max daily temp was either tied or broken 6 times!  On  5 days the a new max minimum temp was established.  2 new daily wind gusts were established.  On 3 days, new daily precip records were established.  On the 25th and 30th,  new min maximum temps were set.  The list in detail can be found at http://www.pilot.infi.net/~bsmoot/month.htm on the Internet.  Winds came in from a dominant S direction averaging 5.1 mph.  A rather high number of TS days (6) and an equally high number of total TS (9)!  For the year, rainfall improved to only a 0.78" deficiency (96%).

The highlight of the month was a late spring coastal nor'easter.  Yes, on Memorial Day you would have thought a mid January low pressure blew in.  An upper low spun from the western Great Lakes south-southeast to WV then on to NC heading to NE NC.  The tightly wound low deepened significantly offshore NE NC and SE VA.  As the low approached, a line of TS moved through in the early morning of Memorial Day.  As the low intensified off the coast, it sent a strong onshore flow, minor tidal flooding, and heavy rainfall into the area.  Here 1.63" of rain fell on Memorial Day while nearby areas recorded even more.  Some sections of NE NC were deluged with between
5 and 10" of rain!  The low spun to sea slowly with wrap-around bands of rain plaguing the area.  Lingering cloudiness followed.

Richmond - According to NWS AKQ, Richmond had mean temps 2^o above normal while rainfall was 0.81" below normal.  The average wind speed was 8 MPH.

Mechanicsville - Glenn reports that strong thunderstorms moved into the area on the 19th with sharp lightning and hail.  Strong winds also accompanied the storms and small tree branches were broken off.

Roanoke - A very warm and very windy  and dry May here, saith Wendell.  Rainfall was 1.28" below the norm and the first significant rain didn't show until the 22nd.  Temperatures averaged 4^o above normal.

Roanoke - NWS BCB notes: The monthly mean temp was 3.5^o  above normal while precip was 1.31" below the norm.

Vienna - Robert reports the warm temperature trend continued in May.  Precip was only about one half the average.  Hot temps (90+) on four days.  Chilly morning temps and cool days at month's end.  The mean temp made May the 2nd warmest in his 15 year database.

Woodstock -  Lauck send these notes: Temps were above average (3rd of 15 years) and precip was below average (5th in 15 years)    Lots of rainy days but not a lot of rain!

North Carolina:

Asheville - From NWS GSP: The monthly mean temp was 3.2^o above the normal while rainfall was 3.16" below normal.  The average wind speed was 5.8 MPH.

Brevard -  Bob's notes: " May 2000 data is incomplete. I was away from station for 11 days,  19-29th, and do not have recording equipment.  Data is complete for rain, 20 days for temperature humidity, and 19 days for Wx events and prevailing cloud cover.  Rainfall, 3.20" for the month, compares with 3.63", 1990-1999, and is the fourth lowest for May since 1990. The year-to-date accumulation, 22.67", ten-year average 29.35", is the second lowest recorded since 1990, the lowest, 22.33" was recorded in 1999.  Cloud cover
averaged 46 percent for the 19 days recorded. May ushered in hot weather, registering 30-day means of 32 heating DD and 94 cooling DD, compared with 94 and 1 DD respectively for the previous ten Mays."

Charlotte - NWS GSP reports the mean temp at CLT was 2.0^o above normal while precip was 2.65" below normal.

Greensboro - - NWS RAH reports that the mean temp  was 2.9^o above normal while rainfall was 1.71" deficient.  A new record high minimum temp was set on the 19th (67^o).

Raleigh -   From Bob: "While last month was cool and wet, May was the opposite, warm and dry.  There were 4 days with max temps
90^o +.  The 1st 21 days saw only 0.06" of rain.  No severe weather was observed at this station during May."

Raleigh - NWS RDU reports these records:  record high of 93^o was tied on the 20th.  A new daily record high minimum (66^o)  was set on the 10th.   Another record high minimum temp of 66^o was tied on the 19th.  The mean temp was 3^o  above normal and rainfall was
2.69" below normal.

Roxboro - Merriell remarks: "The first 3 weeks of May were warmer and drier than normal.  The last 10 days were filled with scattered showers and thunderstorms.  A severe thunderstorm moved through the area on the 28th.  Some wind damage but no injuries-"

Wilmington - ...A WARM MAY IN THE PORT CITY...WILMINGTON RETURNED TO WARMTH IN MAY. AFTER A COOL APRIL... THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS 2.4 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE RECORDED DURING THE MONTH WAS 95 DEGREES ON THE 13TH... WHICH SET A NEW RECORD FOR THE DATE (THE OLD RECORD WAS 94 IN 1886). ANOTHER RECORD HIGH WAS SET ON THE 20TH WHEN THE THERMOMETER HIT 94 DEGREES (93 IN 1964).  A RECORD COOL HIGH WAS SET ON THE 30TH WITH A HIGH OF ONLY 67 DEGREES (69 IN 1938).  A PAIR OF RECORD WARM LOWS WERE SET IN MAY... 70 DEGREES ON THE 10TH (1882) AND 73 DEGREES ON THE 24TH (1999).  THE TOTAL RAINFALL  0.73 INCH BELOW NORMAL.  UNLIKE APRIL... SUNSHINE WAS PLENTIFUL IN MAY. 89 PERCENT OF POSSIBLE SUNSHINE WAS RECEIVED (NORMAL IS 67 PERCENT).  THE AVERAGE WIND SPEED FOR THE MONTH WAS 9.3 MPH. THE 30TH WAS THE BREEZIEST DAY WITH A DAY-LONG AVERAGE OF 13.9 MPH. BUT THE 28TH SAW BOTH THE HIGHEST 2-MINUTE WIND (32 MPH FROM THE NORTHWEST) AND THE PEAK GUST (45 MPH FROM THE NORTHWEST) AS A THUNDERSTORM PASSED.

South Carolina:

Charleston - Whew! Eleanor has sent a lot of May notes, so here we go!  "The big weather headline in Charleston for May was the lack of rainfall, especially at the start of the normally rainy season here.  The Lowcountry is now in an incipient drought state as determined by the Drought Response Committee, part of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.  There were only 3 days with measurable rainfall, two in thunderstorms.  Records set across the area:  May 12 Charleston International Airport - Record High 95 (previous record 92 set in 1953);  Downtown Charleston -  Record High 93 (previous Record 90 set in 1953);  Beaufort - Record High 95    (previous record 93 set in 1973.  May 13  Charleston International Airport - Record High 95 (previous Record 93 set in 1968);  Florence record high 96 (previous record 94 set in 1956);  N. Myrtle Beach - record high 93 (previous record 92 set in 1953);  May 21 - Savannah International Airport - Record High 94 (Tied Previous Record 94 set in 1902);  May 25 - Charleston International Airport - Record High 97   Tied Previous Record 97 set in 1953;  In addition, there were three other days that records were missed by 2^o or less in Charleston.

Here's an article that appeared on the Charleston.Net page, for the Post and Courier newspaper here: May was one of the driest on record  (June 2, 2000) - from the Associated Press - "Columbia--The last time downtown Charleston saw so little rain in the month of May, it was part of the British colonies.  The less than 0.02 inches of precipitation was surpassed by May 1754, when it didn't rain at all.
For Clemson, it was the driest May in 108 years of record keeping with only 0.15 inches of rain.  Columbia's airport got 0.84 inches -- 3 inches below normal for the month.  Greenville- Spartanburg's gauge registered 2.19 inches for the month, compared with a normal of 4.42 inches.  Just over the border in Augusta, Georgia, only 0.36 inches fell in May.  Orangeburg was even worse, with just 0.11 inches.
Some sections of the state soaked up a couple of inches of rain in a May 25 storm.  Of Florence's 2.57 inches of rainfall for May, 1.94 inches came during the storm.  Most areas of the state are 2 to 6 inches shy of normal rainfall for the year and that's on top of nearly three years of drought conditions.  Last week, the state Drought Response Committee upgraded drought levels throughout the state to moderate in the Midlands and Upstate, and the less serious incipient stage in the Lowcountry and Pee Dee.

Florence - FAA Florence noted the 10th warmest May on record (records back to 1948).  Record highs were set on the 12th and 13th (94 and 96); record low on the 30th (52), tied record warm low on the 13th, 20th, and 21st( 69,69,70).  Record rainfall on the 25th (1.94").  The average wind speed was 7.8 mph.  The mean temp was 2.6^o above the norm while precip was 0.98" below the norm.

Greenville-Spartanburg - The monthly temps  averaged 3.6^o  above normal while total rainfall was 2.23" below normal.   The average wind speed was 7.0 MPH.  76% of possible sunshine was recorded. - from NWS GSP

North Myrtle Beach - NWS ILM reported a mean temp 2.4^o above the norm while precip was 1.24" below the norm.  A record high was set on the 13th (93).  On the 24th, record high was tied (90).

Nearby Cities:

Tri-cities/Bristol area noted temps averaging  2.9^o  above the norm with total rainfall 0.65" below the norm.  For the year, rainfall is running 1.45" below normal.