May followed a typical fashion in the sense that severe weather was on the increase as we began the active season that usually occurs in late spring and early summer. Severe weather wreaked havoc across parts of the Plains during the month. Tornadoes, very large hail and strong winds left damage behind.
Some much needed rain fell in parts of the southern to central Plains in the past month. The rain helped to alleviate some of the drought conditions. Borger, Texas was one of the spots with notable rainfall totals around the middle part of the month. That’s when a total of 4.83 inches fell combined on May 14, 17 and 18.
While the rain was welcomed, some dealt with flooding as too much rain fell too fast across portions of northwest Kansas and southwest Nebraska.
Now as we look toward the future, June is favored for above normal temperatures for southern Texas along with eastern Kansas, eastern Oklahoma, and central Nebraska. The western halves of Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma along with northern Texas are forecast to see precipitation add up to above seasonal norms. This is a welcome forecast change that hasn’t been the case for quite some time.
The 3-month period of June through August is likely to bring above normal temperatures to the southern Plains into southwest Kansas. For precipitation, eastern Oklahoma and Kansas are likely to experience above normal numbers during that time frame. On the other side of the spectrum, western Texas is expected to see below average precipitation.
The forecast precipitation should bring some drought relief to a lot of Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. The panhandle of Texas should see some improvement too, but unfortunately parts of western Texas are expected to see drought continuing.
I’m always keeping an eye to the sky and the weather patterns, so watch for July’s update.
Editor’s note: Regina Bird grew up on a farm near Belleville, Kansas. The views from the farm helped spur her interest in weather. Following high school, she went on to get a bachelor’s degree in meteorology from the University of Kansas. She currently works as a meteorologist for NTV and KFXL in central Nebraska. Follow her on Twitter: @ReginaBirdWX
