While March is generally considered one of the most volatile months in Southeast Lower Michigan weather-wise, May doesn't pull any punches either! You would think that by May; spring's extreme weather in these parts would settle down some - don't bet on it. Scanning over a century's worth of weather records show some interesting and quite variable weather conditions during the month. May of 2022 has already shown its colder, wet side and now a welcome, warmer side is anticipated as we move toward mid May.
Tornadoes, Snowstorms and Heat Waves - Oh May!
Tornadoes!
One of the strongest and earliest documented tornadoes in
Southeast Lower Michigan occurred in May, 1896! While details are
sketchy,
evidently a massive tornado plowed across Oakland and Lapeer Counties
during the early evening hours on
May 25th sometime between 7 PM to 9 PM. The tornado leveled numerous
homes in the towns of
Ortonville, Oakwood and Thomas ( both no longer exist). In fact, parts
of these homes
were found 12 miles away! At least 47 people were killed, including nine
people from one house alone, along with approximately 100 injured as a
result of this vicious storm which has been estimated as an EF-5 (wind
speeds greater than 200 mph). Later that evening (likely closer to 9
PM), another tornado was seen in Sanilac County which possibly was from
the same parent of super-cell thunderstorms. It's also interesting to
note that May of 1896 turned
out to be the fourth warmest May (see May Top 20 records chart at the
end of this write-up) in recorded history at Detroit, perhaps the
unseasonably warm weather helped fuel the severe weather. I was interviewed by the Oakland Press years
back in 2009 about this terrible tornado. Also, included in the article
are pictures of the now defunct town Oakwood before and after.
Some of the strongest tornadoes to hit Southeast Lower Michigan occurred in the early to mid 1950's. The most noteworthy was the monster Flint/Beecher tornado that occurred in 1953 also an EF-5, but that storm hit in the month of June (8th). (An in‑depth article I wrote on the tornado can be found here). Unfortunately, Genesee County was hit again just three years later on May 12th, 1956 with another devastating tornado (EF4 on the enhanced fujita scale with a wind of 166‑200 mph). After the Flint/Beecher storm, this is the second strongest tornado to hit Genesse County. Like its predecessor, this storm also formed in the Flint vicinity (3 miles east of Flint) but then tracked southeast to 3 miles northwest of Atlas rather than east. This tornado killed 3 people and injured 116 while taking out more than 100 homes and five commercial buildings along its path. The average width of the storm was about 300 feet and it is the last killer tornado to hit Genesse County.
Just less than a month before the massive Flint/Beecher tornado in June 8th, on May 21st,1953 the first of two EF4's (166-200 mph) tornadoes ever to hit St. Clair county tore a mean path through the south side of Port Huron. By all accounts, the south side of Port Huron was devastated by this twister. There were two deaths and 68 injuries along with an estimated 90 homes destroyed and another 300 damaged as the tornado ripped through the region. Also, along with the loss of homes, an additional 83 buildings were destroyed and another 124 buildings damaged. As a severe thunderstorm moved northeast across St. Clair county, the tornado was spawned just southwest of Port Huron over the town of Smith's Creek. The tornado then took aim on the south side of Port Huron, reaching nearly a mile wide across at its worst as it tore through the area on its way into Canada.
The second EF4 tornado to hit St. Clair county also occurred
in May...May 8th, 1964 The tornado actually developed over Macomb County, 3
miles north of Mt. Clemens, then plowed east northeast across New Baltimore
to just north of Algonac, in extreme southern
St. Clair County, before crossing
the St. Clair River into Canada. This tornado killed 11 people and injured
more than 200 as it destroyed 132 homes and damaged another 240 homes and
farms. But this tornado wasn't the most damaging in St. Clair County. That
distinction belongs to an EF3 (136‑165 mph) tornado that hit St. Clair and Macomb
Counties also in May...May 2nd, 1983. The tornado was again spawned over
Macomb County, this time over the extreme southeast portion of the county
near Eastpointe. The storm then blew across Lake St. Clair and into Harsens
Island and damaged or demolished 25 to 30 homes, an aircraft hangar and a large
building. The estimated cost of the damage was over $5 million.
Snow-OH !
While a few snow flurries or snow showers are all not that rare in Southeast Lower Michigan in the month of May, the following two snowstorms were and both I wrote in-depth about; here!
One storm occurred May 21st‑22nd, 1883, while the other, the more documented of the two, hit the area May 9th, 1923. The snowstorm on May 9th, 1923 was probably the most severe and extensive over Southeast Lower Michigan of the two ( I wrote in‑depth article on this storm very early in my Weather Historian career. 1996 titled "Snowstorm of May 9th, 1923"). Records at Detroit show a six‑inch snowfall by the evening of the 9th, while further north and west of the city it was even worse! Six to nine inches fell across the Ann Arbor area north into Howell and east, across Pontiac and Port Huron. Even more incredible, snow depths flirting with a foot were observed from Lansing and Flint area, north into the Saginaw Valley and Thumb Region. Widespread damage occurred when such a heavy wet snow fell on top of the newly sprouted spring vegetation. Afternoon and evening temperatures hovered in the lower to mid 30s, while a bitter cold (particularly for May) northwest wind blew at 15 to 25 mph.
The May 21st‑22nd, 1883 snowstorm by the date alone sounds
almost unbelievable! Very little was written in the archaic Detroit weather
records about the storm at the time. In fact, the snowstorm was not confirmed until much
later (1904), since officially continuous snowfall records did not start until
1885. The following is from the official observation form...
May 21, 1883
Rain began
at 900am. Snow from 250pm to 910pm. Hail 934am to
1005am and
110pm. Strong wind reaching 36 mph from the North.
Temp from
32.5 to 46.0. Baro rising.
May 22, 1883
Hail ended
during the night. Snow began during the night. Rain and
snow ended 1005am. Northerly wind reaching 28
miles. Temp from
32.5 to
41.0 Snowfall estimated by Inspector
Conger to have been
5.0 in ‑ on
21st&22nd (This entry made April
28, 1904 ‑ CDC.J)
The snowfall was split between the two days and recorded as
2.3 inches on the 21st and 2.7 inches on the 22nd. While hail was a
likelihood, especially in the afternoon on the 21st as the colder air moved in, I suspect
the hail recorded overnight into the 22nd could have well been graupel or sleet. One may
also wonder with such cold air advected into the region at the surface and
aloft in late May, if thundersnow (sleet/hail) didn't also occur somewhere over
Southeast Lower Michigan, especially with accumulating snow. The snowfall recorded on the 21st & 22nd
in 1883 is by far the latest measurable snowfall recorded in Metro Detroit. The next
closest, heaviest measurable snowfall date‑wise is 1.5 inches, which fell on
May 13th, 1912 and then, our other big storm with the total of six inches on
May 9th, 1923. The latest snow was officially observed in Detroit was the last day of
May...May 31st, 1910 when a trace fell. By the way, it's interesting to note that
not one of the pre-mentioned Mays with measurable snowfall placed in the top 10
coldest Mays in Detroit.
| Date | Snowfall (Inches) | Year | Date |
| 1 | 0.3 | 1909 | 1 |
| 2 | 0.1 | 1909 | 2 |
| 3 | 0.1 | 2005 | 3 |
| 4 | 0.2 | 1907 | 4 |
| 5 | 0.0 | 2019 | 5 |
| 6 | 0.0 | 2019 | 6 |
| 7 | 0.0 | 2019 | 7 |
| 8 | 0.0 | 2019 | 8 |
| 9 | 6.0 | 1923 | 9 |
| 10 | 0.5 | 1902 | 10 |
| 11 | 0.0 | 2019 | 11 |
| 12 | 0.0 | 2019 | 12 |
| 13 | 1.5 | 1912 | 13 |
| 14 | 0.0 | 2019 | 14 |
| 15 | 0.0 | 2019 | 15 |
| 16 | 0.0 | 2019 | 16 |
| 17 | 0.0 | 2019 | 17 |
| 18 | 0.0 | 2019 | 18 |
| 19 | 0.0 | 2019 | 19 |
| 20 | 0.0 | 2019 | 20 |
| 21 | 2.3 | 1883 | 21 |
| 22 | 2.7 | 1883 | 22 |
| 23 | 0.0 | 2019 | 23 |
| 24 | 0.0 | 2019 | 24 |
| 25 | 0.0 | 2019 | 25 |
| 26 | 0.0 | 2019 | 26 |
| 27 | 0.0 | 2019 | 27 |
| 28 | 0.0 | 2019 | 28 |
| 29 | 0.0 | 2019 | 29 |
| 30 | 0.0 | 2019 | 30 |
| 31 | T | 1910 | 31 |
Heatwaves
Now, from one extreme to another, lets look at Heat Waves. While there have been hot days in May with records into the 90s, there are only two years that had extended periods of hot weather in May and those are 1962 and 1977. The hottest and more consecutive of the two was in 1962 when from May 14th‑May 18th, the daily high temperature climbed to ninety or above. This hot spell created five new consecutive record high temperatures which still stand to this day. In 1977, there were also five new record highs established but they were not consecutive, nor all in the 90s up until 2007 & 2012 when two were superseded (see: Tables, below). Very recently (in climate terms) May of 2012 was a very warm month and had its share of records also.
| May Normals (1980-2010) |
Maximum | Minimum | Average Daily Temperature |
Precipitation | ||||||||
| Date | Max | Min | Avg | Record High |
Lowest Max |
Highest Min |
Record Low |
Highest | Lowest | Greatest | Date | |
| 1 | 65 | 45 | 55.0 | 86/1942 | 40/1909 | 70/1942 | 26/1978 | 78/1942 | 35/1909 | 1.46/1875 | 1 | |
| 2 | 66 | 45 | 55.0 | 85/2018 | 39/1940 | 64/1942 | 29/1978 | 73/1942 | 34/1875 | 1.66/1892 | 2 | |
| 3 | 66 | 45 | 56.0 | 89/2012 | 40/1929 | 64/1955 | 28/1978 | 76/1955 | 38/1957 | 1.31/1997 | 3 | |
| 4 | 66 | 46 | 56.0 | 89/1949 | 45/1954 | 66/1955 | 28/1966 | 77/1955 | 39/1954 | 1.05/1990 | 4 | |
| 5 | 67 | 46 | 56.0 | 90/1895 | 42/1917 | 70/1949 | 29/1891 | 80/1949 | 38/1917 | 0.85/1991 | 5 | |
| 6 | 67 | 46 | 56.0 | 90/1949 | 46/1935 | 66/1941 | 31/1974 | 74/2000 | 40/1974 | 1.75/1976 | 6 | |
| 7 | 67 | 46 | 57.0 | 86/2000 | 40/1947 | 68/1964 | 27/1974 | 77/2000 | 36/1947 | 0.97/1948 | 7 | |
| 8 | 67 | 47 | 57.0 | 87/2015 | 38/1947 | 68/2000 | 30/1976 | 77/2000 | 34/1947 | 0.85/1974 | 8 | |
| 9 | 68 | 47 | 57.0 | 90/1896 | 39/1923 | 68/1965 | 29/1983 | 79/1896 | 35/1923 | 2.12/1875 | 9 | |
| 10 | 68 | 47 | 58.0 | 90/1936 | 42/1902 | 67/1896 | 25/1966 | 78/1896 | 38/1966 | 2.33/1948 | 10 | |
| 11 | 68 | 48 | 58.0 | 87/1993 | 43/1960 | 67/1881 | 30/1907 | 76/1896 | 39/1907 | 1.91/1914 | 11 | |
| 12 | 69 | 48 | 58.0 | 90/1881 | 44/1966 | 65/1881 | 32/1934 | 78/1881 | 39/1895 | 1.48/2002 | 12 | |
| 13 | 69 | 48 | 59.0 | 89/1977 | 45/1888 | 66/1956 | 30/2013 | 77/1991 | 41/1910 | 1.48/1991 | 13 | |
| 14 | 69 | 49 | 59.0 | 91/1962 | 40/1895 | 66/1962 | 34/1984 | 79/1962 | 39/1895 | 1.39/1916 | 14 | |
| 15 | 70 | 49 | 59.0 | 92/1962 | 48/1945 | 71/1962 | 33/1973 | 82/1962 | 42/1895 | 1.46/1923 | 15 | |
| 16 | 70 | 49 | 60.0 | 92/1962 | 47/1945 | 70/1962 | 32/1984 | 81/1962 | 44/1957 | 1.09/1945 | 16 | |
| 17 | 70 | 50 | 60.0 | 93/1962 | 48/1916 | 67/1962 | 31/1973 | 80/1962 | 43/1973 | 1.22/1980 | 17 | |
| 18 | 71 | 50 | 60.0 | 93/1962 | 48/1915 | 70/1962 | 32/1973 | 82/1962 | 43/2002 | 1.50/2000 | 18 | |
| 19 | 71 | 50 | 61.0 | 91/1934 | 40/1894 | 69/1996 | 32/2002 | 80/1996 | 37/1894 | 1.68/1949 | 19 | |
| 20 | 71 | 51 | 61.0 | 91/1977 | 48/2002 | 68/1934 | 33/1981 | 79/1934 | 42/1895 | 1.56/1959 | 20 | |
| 21 | 71 | 51 | 61.0 | 92/1977 | 46/1917 | 71/2013 | 32/1883 | 80/1934 | 39/1883 | 1.69/2004 | 21 | |
| 22 | 72 | 51 | 62.0 | 90/1994 | 41/1883 | 67/1941 | 32/1883 | 78/1941 | 36/1883 | 1.14/1949 | 22 | |
| 23 | 72 | 52 | 62.0 | 89/1964 | 46/1917 | 71/1964 | 34/1935 | 80/1964 | 40/1917 | 1.69/2004 | 23 | |
| 24 | 72 | 52 | 62.0 | 87/2020 | 44/1925 | 67/1991 | 33/1925 | 77/1933 | 39/1925 | 1.26/1950 | 24 | |
| 25 | 73 | 52 | 62.0 | 90/2012 | 47/1979 | 70/2012 | 35/1992 | 80/2012 | 45/1979 | 1.67/2011 | 25 | |
| 26 | 73 | 53 | 63.0 | 92/1944 | 47/1961 | 70/1991 | 36/1983 | 79/1914 | 43/1961 | 2.56/1968 | 26 | |
| 27 | 73 | 53 | 63.0 | 91/2018 | 51/1906 | 71/1941 | 35/1915 | 81/1941 | 46/1915 | 1.68/2014 | 27 | |
| 28 | 74 | 53 | 64.0 | 95/2012 | 52/1930 | 72/1941 | 35/1907 | 82/1941 | 46/1894 | 2.02/1935 | 28 | |
| 29 | 74 | 54 | 64.0 | 92/2006 | 48/1889 | 70/2006 | 32/1966 | 81/2006 | 42/1889 | 1.65/1876 | 29 | |
| 30 | 74 | 54 | 64.0 | 93/1942 | 44/1889 | 73/1929 | 36/1966 | 81/1929 | 40/1889 | 2.27/1889 | 30 | |
| 31 | 75 | 55 | 65.0 | 95/1895 | 46/1910 | 71/1919 | 34/1910 | 83/1895 | 26/1898 | 1.98/1946 | 31 | |
Normal High: 69.9 |
Normal HDD: Month: 208 |
Normal Monthly Precip: 3.38 |
||||||||||
| Normal Low : 49.4 | Normal HDD Season: 6092 | Normal Yearly Precip: 12.54 | ||||||||||
| Normal Mean: 59.7 | Normal CDD: Month: 42 | Ave Snow this Month : -1.0 | ||||||||||
| Normal CDD Season: 48 | Ave Snow for the Season: 42.7 | |||||||||||
Precip: Greatest Monthly Total: 8.46/2004 |
Snow: Greatest Monthly Total: 6.0/1923 |
|||||||||||
| Precip: Least Monthly Total: 0.43/1920 | Snow: Least Monthly Total: 0.0/na | |||||||||||
1962
1977
DATE.............RECORD
HIGH...................DATE..............RECORD HIGH
5/14
91
5/13
89
5/15
92 5/20 91
5/16
92
5/21 92
5/17
93
5/24 87/equaled & superseded 2007/20
5/18
93
5/25 89 /superseded
by 90 2012/
Both Mays placed in the top ten hottest Mays in Detroit with 1962 placing 6th and 1977 placing 9th with recent editions of 2018 /2nd/, 2015 /8th/, 2013 /14th/, 2012 /4th/,1998 /3rd/ & 1991 /1st/. Ironically; May of 1991 placed at the top of the list for the warmest May but not one record high temperature was set that month.
| Top 20 Coldest/Warmest Mays in Southeast Lower Michigan | |||||||||||||
| Rank | Detroit Area* | Flint Bishop** | Saginaw Area*** | ||||||||||
| Coldest | Warmest | Coldest | Warmest | Coldest | Warmest | ||||||||
| Temp | Year | Temp | Year | Temp | Year | Temp | Year | Temp | Year | Temp | Year | ||
| 1 | 51.1 | 1907 | 66.5 | 1991 | 48.7 | 1997 | 65.0 | 1982 | 49.8 | 1924 | 64.6 | 1977 | |
| 2 | 51.3 | 1917 | 66.2 | 2018 | 50.0 | 1966 | 65.0 | 1936 | 49.9 | 1945 | 64.0 | 1998 | |
| 3 | 51.8 | 1967 | 65.5 | 1998 | 50.6 | 1967 | 64.7 | 1934 | 50.0 | 1917 | 63.7 | 2018 | |
| 4 | 51.9 | 1966 | 65.3 | 2012 | 50.6 | 1945 | 64.4 | 1922 | 50.2 | 1997 | 63.4 | 1975 | |
| 5 | 52.0 | 1997 | 65.3 | 1896 | 51.5 | 1984 | 64.2 | 1991 | 51.3 | 1947 | 63.2 | 1991 | |
| 6 | 52.1 | 1924 | 65.2 | 1962 | 51.9 | 1947 | 63.4 | 2018 | 51.6 | 1967 | 62.8 | 1936 | |
| 7 | 52.5 | 1945 | 64.7 | 1911 | 52.5 | 1961 | 62.9 | 2015 | 51.6 | 1915 | 62.7 | 1934 | |
| 8 | 52.6 | 1935 | 64.5 | 2015 | 52.6 | 1973 | 62.9 | 2012 | 51.8 | 1925 | 62.5 | 1982 | |
| 9 | 52.7 | 1882 | 64.4 | 1977 | 52.7 | 1954 | 62.9 | 1998 | 51.9 | 2002 | 62.5 | 1922 | |
| 10 | 53.1 | 1915 | 64.3 | 1881 | 52.9 | 1968 | 62.7 | 1987 | 51.9 | 1983 | 62.2 | 2012 | |
| 11 | 53.8 | 1947 | 64.2 | 1982 | 52.9 | 1924 | 62.6 | 1977 | 51.9 | 1954 | 61.6 | 2015 | |
| 12 | 53.9 | 1910 | 63.7 | 1964 | 53.1 | 2002 | 61.9 | 2013 | 52.1 | 1966 | 61.5 | 2013 | |
| 13 | 54.2 | 1883 | 63.7 | 1880 | 53.4 | 2005 | 61.9 | 1939 | 52.5 | 1946 | 61.5 | 1962 | |
| 14 | 54.3 | 1888 | 63.6 | 2013 | 53.5 | 1983 | 61.8 | 1975 | 52.7 | 1935 | 61.3 | 2010 | |
| 15 | 54.4 | 1983 | 63.3 | 1987 | 53.8 | 1974 | 61.6 | 1965 | 52.8 | 1948 | 61.1 | 1964 | |
| 16 | 54.5 | 1984 | 63.3 | 1944 | 53.8 | 1948 | 61.5 | 1962 | 53.0 | 1974 | 61.1 | 1959 | |
| 17 | 54.5 | 2002 | 63.1 | 1965 | 54.0 | 1957 | 61.4 | 1944 | 53.1 | 1956 | 61.0 | 1985 | |
| 18 | 54.5 | 1890 | 63.0 | 1887 | 54.1 | 1963 | 61.1 | 1933 | 53.4 | 1957 | 60.7 | 1965 | |
| 19 | 54.7 | 1954 | 62.8 | 1975 | 54.1 | 1935 | 61.1 | 1921 | 53.4 | 1923 | 60.5 | 1988 | |
| 20 | 54.7 | 1925 | 62.8 | 1936 | 54.1 | 1925 | 60.9 | 1959 | 53.6 | 2003 | 60.4 | 1987 | |
| * Detroit Area temperature records date back to January 1874. ** Flint Bishop temperature records date back to January 1921. *** Saginaw Area temperature records date back to January 1912. | |||||||||||||
Making weather fun while we all
learn,
Bill Deedler - SEMI_WeatherHistorian
Bill Deedler - SEMI_WeatherHistorian
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