May 2008

Below normal precipitation...      Mobile received 4.55 inches of rain during the month.  This total was 1.55 inches below the normal monthly rainfall of 6.10 inches. During the month of May four days recorded a half an inch or more of rain.  The greatest 24 hour total occurred on the 2nd into the 3rd when 1.69 inches was recorded.  The driest May on record in Mobile occurred in 1857 when 0.17 inches of rain fell on the Port City.  The wettest May on record occurred 28 years ago, in 1980, when 15.08 inches of rain fell.  The yearly rainfall for Mobile  now stands at just 28.48 inches which is 0.73 inches below the normal value of 29.21 inches.      May was slightly below normal in the temperature department.  The average monthly temperature was 73.8 degrees.  This average is 0.3 degrees above the normal temperature of 73.5.  The warmest May on record was in 1962 when the average temperature was 80.1 degrees.  The average high temperature was 84.0 degrees and the average low was 63.6 degrees.  Four days in May topped the 90 degree mark.  The highest temperature of the month was 92 degrees set on the 25th and 29th.  The lowest temperature of the month was 52 degrees recorded on the 6th.     Wind information for the month: The average monthly wind speed was 6.9 mph.  The highest peak wind gust was 44 mph from the southwest which occurred on the 15th. Note:  Spring 2007 recorded 17.67 inches of rain...0.69 inches below the normal Spring rainfall 18.36 inches. The average temperature during Spring was 66.3 degrees. This was 0.3 degrees below the normal of 66.6 degrees.