May brought storms and heavy rain from the South to the Northeast; spring was the second warmest on record
Key Points:
- Thirteen states experienced one of their five wettest Mays on record, while dry conditions persisted across much of the Northwest.
- Two significant severe weather outbreaks on May 15–16 and May 18–20 resulted in over 200 tornado reports, very large hail and damaging winds.
- Alaska had its second-wettest May on record with exceptionally heavy rainfall in the Southeast.
Several sites across Hawai`i observed their warmest spring on record. - Widespread drought improvement occurred along the East Coast and across much of the Plains.
Other Highlights:
Temperature
The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. (CONUS) in May 2025 was 61.7°F, 1.5°F above the 20th-century average, ranking in the warmest third of the 131-year period of record. Much of the West, Southwest and Northwest, as well as the northern Rockies and Plains, recorded above-average temperatures. Warmer-than-normal conditions also extended along the southern Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida and up the entire Atlantic seaboard. Florida experienced its second-warmest May on record at 4.0°F above average. In contrast, temperatures across the central U.S. were generally near- to below-average.
During meteorological spring (March–May) 2025, the CONUS average temperature was 54.1°F, 3.2°F above average, making it the second-warmest spring in the 131-year record. North Carolina recorded its second-warmest spring (3.7°F above average), while Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi and Virginia each matched or exceeded their third-warmest spring on record.
Alaska’s average temperature for May was 39.0°F, 1.2°F above the long-term average, ranking in the middle third of the 101-year record. For the spring season (March–May), Alaska’s average temperature was 27.7°F, 3.7°F above average, ranking in the warmest third of the historical record.
Hawai`i was warmer than average in May, with several stations reporting record average temperatures for the month. Spring ranked as the warmest on record at multiple sites, including the Honolulu International and Moloka`i airports.
Precipitation
The average precipitation across the CONUS in May was 3.63 inches, which is 0.72 inch above the 20th-century average, ranking in the wettest third of the 131-year record. Much of the Southeast and Northeast experienced notably wet conditions, with the Southeast region recording its second-wettest May and the Northeast its third-wettest. Alabama had its wettest May on record—its first with more than 10 inches of rainfall—while Maryland, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont each recorded their second wettest. Precipitation was also above average in parts of the Southwest and northern Plains, while drier-than-average conditions prevailed along portions of the Pacific Coast, the Northwest and the upper Mississippi Valley.
During spring, the CONUS received an average of 8.90 inches of precipitation, 0.97 inch above the long-term average, ranking in the wettest third of the 131-year record. Much-above-average precipitation fell across parts of the southern Plains, South, Ohio Valley and Northeast, as well as in portions of the northern Plains and upper Great Lakes. In contrast, below-average precipitation was observed in parts of the Mountain West, central Plains and across the Florida Peninsula.
Alaska experienced its second-wettest May on record, largely due to exceptionally heavy rainfall in the Southeast region, where many long-term stations set new monthly precipitation records. Alaska also tied its second-wettest spring on record, despite some parts of the West Coast and western Aleutians being drier than average.
Drought
According to the June 3 U.S. Drought Monitor report, about 29.6% of the contiguous U.S. was in drought, a decrease of approximately 7.4% since the end of April. Drought conditions contracted or decreased in intensity along much of the East Coast, from Florida to the Northeast. Improvements were also observed in parts of the Southwest and across sections of the southern, central and northern Plains. In contrast, drought developed or intensified across parts of the Northwest, central Rockies, middle Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes regions. In Hawai`i, drought conditions improved over the western islands but intensified over the Big Island.
Monthly Outlook
Above-average temperatures are expected across much of the Lower 48 in June, particularly in parts of the Northwest and Northeast. In contrast, below-average temperatures are favored in Alaska. Lower-than-average precipitation is favored in the Northwest, while wetter-than-average conditions are expected across parts of the Southwest, central Plains and extending into the South and Southeast.
Drought is expected to persist across much of the Southwest and parts of the central and northern Plains, with additional further development likely in portions of the Pacific West, Northwest and northern Rockies. Some drought improvement is anticipated in parts of Florida and along the Mid-Atlantic Coast.
Visit the Climate Prediction Center’s Official 30-Day Forecasts and U.S. Monthly Drought Outlook website for more details.
Significant wildland fire potential is above normal for June across portions of the Pacific Coast, Northwest and Southwest, as well as parts of the southern Plains, upper Mississippi Valley and Southeast. For additional information on wildland fire potential, visit the National Interagency Fire Center’s One-Month Wildland Fire Outlook.
For more detailed climate information, check out our comprehensive May 2025 U.S. Climate Report scheduled for release on June 12, 2025. For additional information on the statistics provided here, visit the Climate at a Glance and National Maps webpages.
