May was warmer and drier than normal--breaking the streak of cold and wet months

May wasn't typical in Decorah.  Decorah weather observer Richard Bernatz says the month broke a streak of six consecutive months of cooler than average temperatures and three consecutive months of higher than average precipitation.

Bernatz says the average temperature in Decorah in May was 59.2 degrees.  That was 0.5 degrees warmer than normal, but still plced the month near the middle of the 119 Mays for which records have been kept--52 were warmer and 66 were cooler.

Decorah received over one inch of rain on May 12th, but not much rain the rest of the month.  The total of 1.47 inches of precipitation was 2.71 inches less than average.  However, Decorah has received 3.57 inches of rain more than normal during the past 12 months.