Wilmington, NC With Its Wettest May on Record... By Far

Wilmington, North Carolina has seen its fair share of rain so far this May. In fact, it's record-setting. By far. Wilmington has seen over 14 inches of rain so far this May, making it by far the wettest May the coastal city has ever seen. After more than four inches of rain on Monday alone, partially from Alberto-infused tropical moisture, Wilmington is now nearly five inches above its typical May rainfall, and more could be in the forecast for the final two days of the month. Because of its location along the North Carolina coast, Wilmington is prone to rain from tropical systems. So double-digit monthly rainfall totals, such as what Wilmington's seen so far this May, are rare during the first half of the year (they tend to see more big rain totals during the peak tropical months of August, September and October). In fact, Wilmington's 14.07" of rain so far this month makes it their wettest month in the whole first half of the year (January-June) on record, as well. So why all the rain? A persistent pattern that shoved tropical moisture into much of the Southeast kept Wilmington soggy for much of the month, but recent rains tied to Alberto have added the proverbial cherry on top. In short, Wilmington's seen tropical moisture most of the month - a rare pattern even during the peak tropical months, let alone in late spring. Afternoon showers and storms could add a bit more to Wilmington's already impressive May rainfall total for Wednesday and Thursday, the final two days of the month. Stay with WeatherNation for the latest. For WeatherNation: Meteorologist Chris Bianchi