Monthly Summary

May was the Northeast's sixth consecutive month with warmer-than-normal temperatures. May averaged 4.3 degrees warmer than normal in the Northeast, for the 6th warmest May in 104 years of record. It was the 2nd warmest May on record in Maine (5.5 degrees warmer than normal) and the 3rd warmest May in New York (5.6 degrees warmer than normal). The first five months of 1998 have averaged 5 degrees warmer than normal, making it the warmest such period since records began in 1895.

Precipitation during May averaged very close to normal for the Northeast overall. Rainfall was abundant in Connecticut and Rhode Island, with 147% and 157% of normal, respectively. Farther north, however, Vermont measured only 75% of normal and New Hampshire just 80% of normal. The Northeast overall reported 103% of the long-term monthly average.

Monthly Summary of State Temperature and Precipitation Averages.

New Weather Records

Maximum Temperature Records (degrees F)

City                      Date       New         Previous
----                      ----       ---         --------
Allentown, PA (tie)       16th        89        89 in 1951
Atlantic City AP, NJ      16th        88        86 in 1993
Baltimore, MD (tie)       16th        92        92 in 1944
Harrisburg, PA            16th        92        90 in 1965
Massena, NY*              16th        95        87 in 1991
Scranton, PA              16th        90        89 in 1932
Bridgeport, CT            18th        84        81 in 1986
Atlantic City Marina, NJ  19th        92        91 in 1906
Bridgeport, CT            19th        86        85 in 1962
Portland, ME              29th        90        80 in 1991
* Massena also tied the all-time high for the month of May set on May 19, 1971.

Minimum Temperature Record (degrees F)

City                      Date       New         Previous
----                      ----       ---         --------
Scranton, PA (tie)        23rd        36        36 in 1967

Daily Precipitation Records (inches)

City                      Date       New         Previous
----                      ----       ---         --------
Boston, MA                 6th      1.00       0.97 in 1958
Boston, MA                 7th      1.50       1.45 in 1908
Philadelphia, PA           8th      1.41       1.24 in 1886
Central Park, NY           9th      1.42       1.34 in 1924
Bridgeport, CT            10th      1.11       1.07 in 1973
Newark, NJ                10th      1.19       1.13 in 1969

• Philadelphia tied the record for consecutive days of rain on the 12th. It was the 12th consecutive day with a trace or more of precipitation. The previous recorded was from May 15 to 26, 1894.
• Williamsport broke the record for consecutive days of measurable rain. May 12 was the 13th consecutive day of measurable precipitation; the previous record was 11 days set from the 8th to the 18th of May 1960.

Wind Gust

• The storms on the 31st produced a record tieing wind gust of 94 mph at Worcester Municipal Airport. The last time a gust this high was recorded was December 10, 1953.