The merry, merry month of May? This year it was just miserable

By David Skolnick

Higher temperatures are expected for Sunday and Monday.

YOUNGSTOWN — Worst. May. Ever.

Well, all right, it’s currently the ninth worst in terms of low temperatures.

Does that make you feel any better?

If it seems like it’s rained every day this month, you’re not too far off.

During the month’s first 23 days, it’s rained on 19 of them in the Mahoning Valley, according to National Weather Service records.

The average temperature for the month in the Valley through Friday was 53.5 degrees.

That’s 2.7 degrees lower than average for the first 23 days of May, and if it doesn’t heat up, it will be the ninth coolest May on record in the Valley.

It’s also only slightly warmer than last month.

The average temperature last month was 51.9 degrees, 4.5 degrees warmer than an average April in the area.

“What’s annoying is, it was sunny in April and not much in May,” said Robert LaPlante, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

“We had May weather in April and April weather in May,” he added. “People are ready for a change.”

By May, people want to see the sun, LaPlante said.

“You have the furnace still running, and people are tired of that,” he said.

Most of the rain that’s fallen this month was very light, LaPlante said, even though there’s only been four days so far this month that were completely dry.

The total amount of precipitation this month, through Friday afternoon, was 3.73 inches, 1.31 of an inch more than average.

While rain isn’t in the forecast until Monday night, the area is expected to see frost tonight, LaPlante said.

“Don’t plant tomatoes until Sunday,” advised LaPlante, who gardens.

Sunday is expected to be the warmest day in the past few weeks. The high temperature is expected to be in the mid-70s. Memorial Day is also predicted to be warm with a high in the upper 70s.

The cooler conditions and precipitation so far this month haven’t been a problem for the White House Fruit Farm in Canfield, said David Hull, its co-owner.

“It’s been a good spring for peaches and apples,” he said.

Strawberries have been a bit of an issue, Hull said.

They’ve had to be covered at night this week because of frost, he said.

skolnick@vindy.com