In my previous blog, I mentioned that during the past 20 years, average annual rainfall has increased 3 inches per year. Although as you might imagine, every year the rain patterns have been different, there has been some consistency to when most of this additional moisture has fallen. Two time periods in particular has attributed to this increase in precipitation. One of those periods has been this time of year.
Average June rainfall since 1990 has increased over one inch and May rainfall has increased a bit over one-half inch. Obviously, not every May and June in the past 20 years has been wet, but a high percentage have and this heavy late spring/early summer rain has attributed the highest percent of the excess rainfall during the past two decades.
The other time period of increased moisture has been during the winter. The average annual snowfall since 1990 has been 53 inches in comparison to the long-term average of 40 inches.
Blame global warming.
People should watch the movie “Home”. It really explains a lot.
Here in south Florida the 20-yr record has also been wetter in comparison to 20 before that. The 90s had particularly wet winters. Of course now we’re waiting for our wet season to get started (I hear thunder as I type).
Robert,
Although we have had pretty average rainfall locally this spring/summer season, very little thunder. Nothing is cooler than a nice rumble of thunder as you’re working. I’m envious. Our thunder when we do get it tends to come with nasty storms.