Skip to content

May weather normal in West Kootenay

Last month was about as normal as it gets weather-wise in May, according to a round-up of statistics from the Southeast Fire Centre.
19486westernstar11amDSCN7149
May was marked with typical temperatures and the usual amount of rain — plus many sunny spells.

Last month was about as normal as it gets weather-wise in May.

The average monthly temperature for our region was 0.4 of a degree warmer than usual while the total rainfall was almost exactly the typical amount.

In their monthly roundup of weather statistics, Southeast Fire Centre weather specialists Ron Lakeman and Jesse Ellis noted the month began with a strong ridge of high pressure and two days of “sunny, unseasonably warm conditions.”

A record high of 27.6 degrees was set on the 2nd. The highest temperature of the month was 28.7 degrees on the 22nd, but that fell well short of the all-time high of 34.5 degrees set on May 18, 2006.

The lowest temperature was 0.4 degrees on the 7th and 8th, compared to the record low of minus-4.7 set on May 1 last year.

High pressure briefly returned for similarly warm and sunny conditions over the rest of the month, most notably on the 14th and 15th, 21st and 22nd, and 31st.

A few Pacific systems also produced several days with showers and thundershowers. Measurable rain was recorded on 16 days, which is normal. The wetter periods were between the late afternoon of the 3rd and morning of the 5th and then during the afternoon and night of the 17th.

The total precipitation for the month was 69.3 mm, compared to the all-time high of 157.4 mm set in 1996 and the record low of 17 mm in 1970.