Cool and wet, yesterday, today and tomorrow
Cool, if not cold for May, and wet describes the Hill’s weather for most of May and probably through the end of the month.
For the first three weeks of May, the average daytime temperature recorded at the Idyllwild Fire Station has been 52.2 degrees, which is nearly 2.4 degrees below the historic average May temperature.
The National Weather Service is forecasting a continuation of the recent cool and wet pattern through the Memorial Day weekend: “Another upper level storm and cold front is expected for the holiday weekend. This will increase winds and bring a period of precipitation for Saturday night and Sunday."
For the next several weeks, NWS is forecasting below-normal temperatures for Southern California and above-average precipitation.
From Saturday, May 18, to Monday morning, May 20, the U.S. Forest Service’s Keenwild Ranger Station recorded nearly an inch of rain. The Idyllwild Fire Station recorded slightly more than an inch. And snow did fall in Pine Cove Sunday.
A “Winter Weather Advisory” had been issued for early Sunday to Monday morning. NWS indicates that another “Winter Advisory” may be issued for Wednesday.
On Monday, the NWS forecast for Tuesday night and Wednesday “… will also bring several inches of snow above 5500 feet. … Will need another winter weather advisory for this as well.”
Since October 2018, Keenwild has recorded 29.8 inches of rain, of which 1.6 inches have fallen in May. The average May rainfall is 0.7 of an inch. Only twice since 1977 has the rainfall in May exceeded 1.6 inches.
The average rainfall from October to May is 23.2 inches, which has already been exceeded in this rain year.
