Monthly Rainfall Record For May Shattered

May 2010 Wettest month on record in Nashville
Records date back to 1870
Cumberland River Highest since 1937

Monthly Rainfall Record For May Shattered

Rainfall totaled 16.43 inches during the month of May 2010 making it the wettest month since record keeping began back in 1870. The previous record was 14.75 inches set in January 1937.

 

Monthly Rainfall Record For May Shattered

It's interesting to note that 83 percent of the rain that fell in Nashville during May of 2010 fell on the first 2 days of the month.

Monthly Rainfall Record For May Shattered

In January 1937 rainfall in Nashville was distributed  throughout the month with flood producing rainfall occurring between the 17th and 22nd.

Monthly Rainfall Record For May Shattered

The above chart shows the spatial distribution of total rainfall for the month of May 2010 across Middle Tennessee. More than 23 inches of rain fell at Camden in Benton county. The axis of heaviest rainfall extends along interstate 40 into Nashville before turning northeast. Isohyets** are drawn at 2 inch intervals. The Cumberland river at Nashville crested at 51.86 feet* on May 3, 2010.

Monthly Rainfall Record For May Shattered

The above chart shows the spatial distribution of total rainfall for the month of January in 1937.  Nearly 24 inches of rain fell in Stewart county during the month of January in 1937 with the northwest and northeast areas of Middle Tennessee receiving the most rainfall. Isohyets are drawn at 2 inch intervals. The Cumberland river at Nashville crested at 53.9 feet on January 26, 1937.

*Unofficial
**Isohyets are lines of equal rainfall
Rainfall amounts used for January 1937 chart from Cooperative observers and for May 2010 from the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS). 

Bobby Boyd
Meteorologist
National Weather Service
Nashville, TN

Monthly Rainfall Record For May Shattered
OHX doppler



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