TOLEDO, Ohio — Now that April is in the rearview mirror, it's time to look ahead to May and preview some big changes in the weather pattern.
After a chilly and damp start to May, the WTOL 11 weather team is forecasting significant improvements just in time for the weekend. In this week's edition of Climate Friday, we'll recap the month of April and look ahead to what you can expect in May.
Last week, we discussed the science behind the saying "April showers bring May flowers," so let's start off by recapping our April rainfall.
Overall, the month featured much drier than normal conditions with only 2.19 inches of total rain. Much of this fell during the final few days of the month as a slow-moving low-pressure storm system parked over the Great Lakes, bringing persistent rain showers to the region.
Even though April is known as a showery month, this one brought much less precipitation than normal. April typically doses out 3.45 inches of rain, checking in as the second-rainiest month of the year only behind May.
This year, we received nearly an inch and a half less rain than normal. With lower than normal rainfall, we also avoided late-season snow accumulation.
Believe it or not, the month of April typically brings 1.3 inches of snowfall. Though we saw a few flakes this April, no measurable accumulation occurred.
What about April temperatures? After an exceptionally mild stretch of weather with numerous days in the 80s, April turned sharply cooler toward the end of the month.
Overall, April features an average high temperature of 62 degrees. This April brought an average high of 64, which is much warmer than usual. This doesn't tell the full story, however, as the month delivered significant fluctuations from highs in the 80s to frosty nights.
You will likely remember April as a month of ups and downs. The roller coaster of weather will even out as we head into May.
So what's on tap as we look ahead to the month of May? As the wettest month of the year, May brings an average rainfall total of 3.82 inches with a normal high of 73.
The weather changes substantially throughout the month, jumping from an average high of 68 on the first of the month to 78 by the end.
May has grown much warmer on average, in part due to climate change. In the past decade alone, May has grown 2.3 degrees warmer in the Toledo area. This uptick in temperatures will likely continue in the future contributing to more frequent summer-like warmth.
You'll see some warmer days in the WTOL 11 weather forecast as the weather pattern moves toward a milder trend. After a persistent low-pressure system brought showery and cold conditions to start May, the jet stream will shift drastically in the middle of the month.
A ridge in the jet stream will build back some warmer temperatures as highs return to the 70s next week. We'll finally end up above-average by mid-month, a trend that will continue for the next couple weeks.
In addition to warmer weather, you'll also get a break from the rain as a drier and brighter weather pattern emerges. Your patience will finally pay off as brighter and milder days return toward the middle of the month.
Stay tuned to the WTOL 11 weather forecast for updates on the warmer and sunnier conditions ahead and subscribe to the Climate Friday newsletter for more.
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