Spring - Plenty of Warmth and Little Snow

A heat event that featured near record or record temperatures during the second half of May could not compensate for an unusually cool start to the month, leading May to be cooler than normal for many areas. However, March and April were unusually warm, pushing the spring season to be warmer than normal for the Northeast. In fact, it was the warmest spring on record for Huntington and Elkins, WV, and among the 20 warmest springs for another 29 of the region's 35 major sites. There was a wide range of precipitation amounts in May and spring, but the entire region had a snowfall deficit this spring.

Northeast News

Much-Needed Rain Arrives in the Mid-Atlantic
The U.S. Drought Monitor released on Thursday, May 28 showed drought and/or abnormally dry conditions improve in sections of the Mid-Atlantic. Beneficial precipitation boosted soil moisture, streamflow, and/or groundwater levels in several areas including parts of West Virginia, Maryland, and southern Pennsylvania. However, portions of southern New England continued to see reduced precipitation amounts and other impacts, resulting in drought expansion. There were generally limited changes elsewhere in the Northeast.

Extreme drought was mostly removed from West Virginia.
Severe drought was erased from portions of West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware but increased in Massachusetts.
Moderate drought and/or abnormal dryness contracted in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and northern New England but expanded in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Record-low seven-day streamflow was mostly confined to spots like southern Delaware, southeastern New Jersey, and southeastern Massachusetts.
Groundwater levels were record low in a few areas including parts of Maryland, New Jersey, eastern Massachusetts, and southern Maine.
The short-term outlooks for June 4-10 predict near-normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures for the Northeast, conditions that warrant observation for possible deterioration.

For more information, see the Northeast DEWS Dashboard (to see the full Northeast, click on the grayed-out Pennsylvania in the map in the top left) and the Northeast Drought Update. Submit drought impact reports via the Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) page.

Website Highlights

Weather Station Data

Weather Station Data includes location-specific information, such as wind data, evapotranspiration, and daily almanacs.

CLIMOD 2 is a user-friendly website to find single-station and multi-station climate products for locations accross the country. For example, the Seasonal Ranking report produces a graph and table of extremes or other summaries for a specified period for each year.

Go to CLIMOD 2

State & Regional Analyses

These provide several map types, regional climate summaries, snow survey data, and drought information.

The Monthly Maps offer a variety of monthly precipitation and temperature departure maps for any given month for the Northeast region or a selected state.

Go to Monthly Map page

Analyses for Industry

Analyses for Industry shows products the NRCC has created through partnerships with various industries.

The Apple Frost Risk page has maps and animations for Red Delicious, Empire, and McIntosh apples. The maps show accumulated chill, growing degree days, phenological stages, and kill probability.

Go to Apple Frost Risk

Webinars & Workshops

Webinars & Workshops provides recordings and presentations from the monthly webinar series, as well as information on past and upcoming workshops.

The Northeast Regional Climate Center hosts a monthly webinar series with NOAA affiliates to address timely weather topics.

Go to Monthly Webinars

Publications & Services

Publications & Services includes the NRCC blog, quarterly outlooks, as well as other reports and publications.

The Quarterly Outlooks are seasonal climate highlights and outlook for the upcoming season for the Eastern, Region, Great Lakes, and Gulf of Maine. Published in March, June, September and December.

Go to Quarterly Reports