May of 2020 is all too familiar in the minds of gardeners across the Great Lakes and Michigan. The unseasonable cold weather last May that covered the region mid month with freezes and snow is still fresh in many of our minds. To recap; https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/.../6.2...
So what about this May; are daily temperatures expected now to remain cool and average below normal? On average high temperatures in early to mid May in Southeast Michigan generally rise into the mid 60s to around 70; while lows fall into the mid 40s to around 50. Thus far; temperatures have actually averaged above normal for the month but May is only a few days old.
Latest weather guidance into at least early next week is not too encouraging for warm weather. Temperatures are expected to average 5 to 10 degrees below normal. And; there is still the risks of scattered frosts or freezes.
Latest estimate of temperatures through mid next week /May 12th/ are on the first map; while the reason for the cool weather is on the second map. The reason is in the form of an upper 500 mb cool low that remains trapped over Ontario and the Great Lakes (and routinely being recharged with polar air).
This anomaly map /Map 2/ shows the below normal heights/temperatures with the upper low with time. Fortunately; the cold low does migrate to the east-northeast and allows warmer weather to push back into the region toward the end of this period, next week.
Another period of cool weather is beginning to show up on extended models later in the month but at this time it remains further north and it's too far out to be reliable, anyway.
Making weather fun while we all learn,
Bill Deedler -SEMI_WeatherHistorian
Bill Deedler -SEMI_WeatherHistorian
