By SALINA POST
May 2021 in Salina was cooler and wetter.
According to the National Weather Service climate summary, Salina's average monthly temperature of 63.0 degrees was 2.1 degrees cooler than normal. It tied for the 31st coolest May since records began in 1900.
Only seven days during the month reached at least 80 degrees, which was 6.9 days below normal. It was the fewest number of May 80-degree days since 1995, the weather service noted.
The Salina high temperature for May 2021 was 87 degrees on May 8, which was much more pleasant than the record high of 106 degrees that was recorded on May 23, 1939. May 2021's low temperature was 36 degrees, recorded on May 5. The record low for Salina is 19 degrees, which was recorded on May 1, 1909.
According to the climate summary, 6.62 inches of precipitation was measured in Salina in May, which was 1.58 inches wetter than normal. The maximum precipitation record for May was 17.34 inches recorded in 1903. The minimum record was 0.25 of an inch in 1966.
Other May climatological statistics for Salina include the following, according to the weather service.
Number of days with at least one thunderstorm: 11
Number of days with heavy rain: seven
Number of days with rain: eight
Number of days with light rain: 17
Number of days with fog: 16
Number of days with haze: two
Highest sustained wind speed: 48 mph recorded on May 9
Highest wind gust speed: 60 mph recorded on May 9
Average wind speed: 10.6 mph