The May 2017 climate summary from North Carolina is available at https://climate.ncsu.edu/climateblog?id=235&h=5666e5c1.

The climate summary for Florida is at https://climatecenter.fsu.edu/products-services/summaries?id=510.

Here is the text summary for the whole Southeast Region: (Information provided by the Southeast Regional Climate Center)

  • Temperatures were near average across much of the Southeast region (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) during May. Only ten long-term (i.e., period of record equaling or exceeding 50 years) stations across the region observed May mean temperatures that were ranked within their top 5 warmest values on record, including Miami, FL (1896–2017; second warmest), Tampa, FL (1890–2017; fourth warmest), and Cape Hatteras, NC (1893–2017; tied for fourth warmest).  From the 24th through the 31st, Miami tied its second longest streak of eight consecutive days during May with a maximum temperature at or above 90 degrees F (32.2 degrees C).  On the 28th, Miami observed its warmest May day and tied its second warmest day for any month on record, reaching 98 degrees F (36.7 degrees C).  This was also the highest temperature recorded in Miami outside of the three meteorological summer months (June, July, and August).  Despite the lack of monthly temperature extremes across the region, periods of exceptionally warm and cold temperatures were observed during May.  The warmest weather of the month occurred from the 17th through the 20th, as unseasonably warm, moist air surged northward around a strong Bermuda High off the Atlantic coast.  Daily maximum temperatures exceeded 85 degrees F (29.4 degrees C) across much of the region, with numerous locations in every state reaching 90 degrees F or higher.  From the 16th through the 20th, Tampa, FL observed its second longest streak of five consecutive days in which a daily maximum temperature record was tied or broken.  On the 17th and 19th, Tampa tied its warmest May day and its second warmest day for any month on record, reaching 98 degrees F.  On the 18th, Sarasota-Bradenton, FL (1911–2017) observed its warmest May day and tied its second warmest day for any month on record, reaching 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C).  This was also the earliest observation of 100 degrees F or higher for Sarasota-Bradenton, with the previous record occurring one month later in the year (June 18, 1998).  In contrast, the coolest weather of the month occurred on the 5th and 12th, as persistent cloud cover and rainfall suppressed daytime temperatures across portions of the region.  Daily maximum temperatures ranged from the lower 50s F (10.6 to 11.7 degrees C) to the lower 60s F (16.1 to 17.2 degrees C) across broad areas of Alabama, Georgia, and western North Carolina on the 5th, as well as much of Virginia and the northern half of North Carolina on the 12th.  On the 5th, ten long-term stations in Alabama and Georgia observed or tied their lowest daily maximum temperature on record for May, including Birmingham, AL (1896–2017; 52 degrees F, 11.1 degrees C) and Columbus, GA (1902–2017; 57 degrees F, 13.9 degrees C).
  • Precipitation was well above normal across much of the Southeast region during May, but a few areas of unusual dryness were also observed. The driest locations were found across portions of the Florida Peninsula, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where monthly precipitation totals were to 10 to 50 percent of normal.  In contrast, the wettest locations were found across much of Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, east-central and southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, and portions of the Florida Peninsula.  Monthly precipitation totals ranged from 150 to over 300 percent of normal in these areas.  Indeed, every state across the region had at least one station (including CoCoRaHS) that observed 10 inches (254 mm) of precipitation or greater during the month.  At least 24 long-term stations observed May precipitation totals that were ranked within their three highest values on record.  Half of these stations observed their wettest May on record, including Jefferson, NC (1896–2017; 12.83 inches, 326 mm), Montgomery, AL (1873–2017; 12.74 inches, 324 mm), Stuart, VA (1923–2017; 12.10 inches, 307 mm), and Savannah, GA (1871–2017; 11.54 inches, 293 mm).  From the 20th through the 21st, a slow-moving system of thunderstorms produced widespread heavy rainfall across Alabama, with flash flooding occurring in the three major cities of Birmingham, Montgomery, and Mobile.  Multiple water rescues were performed in the Birmingham metropolitan area, and several submerged vehicles were reported in Montgomery.  On the 20th, Montgomery observed its wettest May day and fourth wettest day for any month on record, with 8.15 inches (207 mm) of precipitation.  Of this daily total, 7.31 inches (186 mm) was recorded in only 6 hours, which corresponds to an average recurrence interval of approximately 200 years at this location.  On the 22nd, Savannah, GA observed its highest 1-day precipitation total on record for meteorological spring (March, April, and May), with 6.61 inches (168 mm) of rainfall.  From the 19th through the 25th, Greensboro, NC (1903–2017) observed its longest streak during May with seven consecutive days of measurable precipitation.
  • There were 741 severe weather reports across the Southeast during May, which is nearly 140 percent of the median monthly frequency of 534 reports during 2000–2016. At least one severe weather report was recorded on 22 days during the month, but about 45 percent (336 of 741) of the reports were recorded on just three of these days (4th, 24th, and 27th).  Approximately 55 percent (415 of 741) of all reports occurred in North Carolina and Virginia.  There were 10 reports of large hail (i.e., at least 2 inches in diameter or hen egg-sized) across the region during the month, including 3-inch (tea cup-sized) hail in Chesterfield County, VA on the 27th, 2.75-inch (baseball-sized) hail in Edgefield County, SC on the 29th, and 2.75-inch hail in Duval County, FL on the 31st.  Numerous reports of damaging thunderstorm wind gusts, ranging from 50 to 90 mph, occurred across the region, resulting in 1 fatality and at least 12 injuries during the month.  On the 20th, a line of severe thunderstorms produced wind gusts up to 90 mph across a broad swath of north-central Alabama. There were widespread reports of downed trees and power lines, with many homes in the Huntsville metropolitan area sustaining damage.  On the 30th, thunderstorm wind gusts estimated from 80 to 90 mph caused trees to fall onto several homes and vehicles across Sampson County, NC, resulting in at least 12 injuries.  Approximately 16,000 turkeys were killed, as the strong winds destroyed numerous poultry houses.  Damaging non-convective wind gusts, ranging from 30 to more than 60 mph, were observed across northern and central portions of Alabama and Georgia on the 4th.  The combination of strong winds and wet soils from recent rainfall produced widespread downed trees and power lines in these areas, resulting in motor vehicle accidents and structural damage to homes and businesses.  Some of the highest observed wind gusts were 64 mph in Cohutta, GA, 48 mph at Birmingham International Airport, AL, and 44 mph at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, GA.  A total of 54 tornadoes were confirmed across the region during the month, which is nearly five times greater than the median frequency of 11 tornadoes observed during May.  In fact, this is the fifth greatest May tornado count for the region since modern records began in 1950.  Twenty tornadoes were confirmed in Georgia, which is the second greatest May tornado count for the state since 1950, trailing only the 23 tornadoes observed during May 2008.  Over 90 percent (49 of 54) of the tornadoes and all 11 tornado-related injuries occurred during multi-day severe weather outbreaks on the 4th through the 5th and the 23rd through the 24th.  On the 4th, an EF-1 tornado touched down in Garden City, GA and injured five people inside an auto parts store, as three of the exterior walls collapsed.  On the 24th, an EF-2 tornado tracked 6.1 miles across Davie and Yadkin Counties in central North Carolina, with two reported injuries.  At least 45 homes and other structures were damaged or destroyed along its path, including an elementary school gymnasium.  On the 17th, a construction worker was injured by a lightning strike in Martin County, FL.
  • While drought conditions were nearly or totally eliminated from several states across the region, portions of Georgia and Florida remained in moderate-to-extreme (D1–D3) drought during May. Persistent rainfall in early May removed lingering areas of moderate drought in North Carolina and Virginia.  Drought conditions were nearly eliminated in Alabama during the month, as the coverage of moderate-to-severe (D1–D2) drought decreased from 32 percent on May 2nd to less than 1 percent on May 30th.  Only a few small areas of moderate drought remained in South Carolina, and the coverage of moderate-to-severe drought was significantly reduced across portions of northern and central Georgia, including the removal of extreme drought in the northeastern corner of the state.  In contrast, moderate-to-severe drought persisted over much of southern Georgia, while moderate-to-extreme drought continued to intensify and expand across Florida, covering nearly 72 percent of the state for the first time since February 2013.  Much-below-normal streamflows and soil moisture persisted across southern Georgia and Florida due to a lack of rainfall.  An extremely active wildfire season continued across Florida, with over 550 wildfires reported and nearly 60,000 acres burned during the month.  The West Mims Fire in southeastern Georgia consumed an additional 50,000 acres of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge during May, reaching a total of 150,000 acres since the fire began in early April.  Beginning on May 6th, southern portions of Charlton County, GA, including about 2,000 residents in the community of St. George, were placed under a week-long manClimate datory evacuation order due to a rapid spreading of the West Mims Fire.  The flames and smoke from the wildfire caused a significant reduction in tourism to the Okefenokee Swamp during May, which is typically one of its busiest months of the year.  On the 6th, heavy smoke and falling ash were reported in downtown Jacksonville, FL, located about 30 miles from the fire perimeter.  Pastures remained thin and drought-damaged across southern portions of the region, with harmful armyworms reported in areas of Alabama and Georgia.  Many livestock producers in Florida continued to feed hay and haul in water from outside the state.  Above-average precipitation during May and much of spring contributed to a successful first cutting of hay across the northern half of the region, but some livestock producers in North Carolina reported unusually thin yields due to the recent drought.  Persistent rainfall during early and late May stalled crop planting and winter wheat harvesting across much of the region.  Some corn and tobacco had to be replanted in North Carolina and Virginia, as heavy rainfall saturated fields and leached soil nutrients.  However, farmers in Georgia and South Carolina reported that the rainfall at the end of the month was timely for the corn crop, which had begun to silk and tassel.  Hundreds of acres of tomato and watermelon crops in southwestern Florida were destroyed by an extreme infestation of whiteflies, which was attributed to warm and dry weather during spring as well as an unseasonably warm winter across the state.
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