Recap of Spring 2021 - Overall Dry and Mild

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10 Jun 2021 1:05 AM
[Written from NOAA and NOAA NCEI]  Meteorological spring wrapped up at the end of May. Here's a look back at the climatology stats for March, April and May.

Temperatures

The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. during meteorological spring (March through May) was 52.6 degrees F (1.7 degrees above the 20th-century average), which ranked in the warmest third of the record. Temperatures were above average across much of the West and from the northern and central Plains to the Northeast and along much of the East Coast. Maine ranked seventh warmest for spring. No state across the Lower 48 ranked below average for the season. The Alaska spring temperature was 24.4°F, 0.5°F above the long-term average, ranking in the middle third of the record for the state. This was the coolest spring across Alaska since 2013. Temperatures were above average across the Aleutians and portions of northern Alaska and below average across parts of eastern-interior Alaska.

Precipitation

With an average precipitation total of 7.53 inches (0.41 of an inch below average), this spring placed in the driest third of the climate record and was the driest since 2006. Spring precipitation was above average from the central High Plains to the Mississippi River and south to the Gulf of Mexico. Louisiana ranked fourth wettest for the season. Precipitation during March-May was below average across much of the West, Great Lakes and East Coast. IdahoOregon and the state of Washington ranked second driest for the spring season while California ranked fourth driest. For more specifics of each month, check out the links below: March was Warm and Dry for Many with a Wet Bull’s-Eye in the Heartland April was Dry and Warm for Most of the Nation May Recap: Near Average Month with First Tropical Storm of 2021 Edited for WeatherNation by Mace Michaels
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