SALT LAKE CITY — Thursday morning, many Utahns may have been surprised by brisk temperatures and rainy conditions, leaving many wondering if the state has seen abnormal spring conditions this year.
"[It's] definitely been way cooler than last season," reflected Utah resident Michael Miskimmon. "But I like it."
But has the state actually seen wetter weather and chillier temperatures overall?
The answer may surprise you.
"When we actually look at the data though, we actually see that we’ve been warmer than normal and dryer than normal, through May and even early June,” explained Mike Seamen, the lead forecaster for the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City.
In fact, May made a name for itself in the weather books.
"We set a record in May for the warmest May on record for average temperature," Seamen said, "By almost five degrees here at the Salt Lake International Airport."
About .52 inches of rain fell as well when 1.82 inches is more typical.
But then why does it feel like mother nature is deceiving us? Seamen said daily thunderstorms are to blame.
"They’ve been very hit or miss," he said. "If you get under one, you're getting a fair amount of rain but not everyone is getting that rainfall.”
In addition, temperatures have stayed consistently above average, although it may be difficult to tell.
"We’ve had a lot of days where we’re mild, where we are just a little bit above normal," Seamen said. "But we are consistently, slightly above normal."
While the data points to the fact that this spring has not been as wet and cool as it seems, Seamen said even drier condition could be on their way from late June into August now that El Niño conditions have developed.
