US Weekly Weather Records Digest

Storms & Severe Weather SPC reports · tornadoes · hail · wind

Storm
SPC has Iowa and the surrounding Upper Midwest in an elevated severe risk for the evening of May 15 — damaging winds and large-to-very-large hail likely; threat extends from the southern High Plains north through the Upper Midwest. SPC Day 1
Storm
Active severe-weather corridor mid-week from TX through AR into the Mid-South — heavy rainfall and isolated tornado threat alongside the hail/wind risk. SPC Day 2
Context
Running tornado, hail, and wind report tallies for the year are tracked on SPC's storm-report archive — useful for "Xth most active May on record" callouts as the month closes. SPC Reports Archive

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AZ, CO, ID, NV, NM, OR, UT, and WY all set new record-low April 1 snow-water-equivalent values in the ~45-year SNOTEL record; CA logged its 2nd-lowest. prev record: since 1981 Drought.gov Snow Update (May 14)
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Colorado peak SWE 8.55 in (March 9), 50% below the prior record-low year. Utah 3.2 in and Wyoming 8.8 in are also new statewide lows. prev: previous SNOTEL low Drought.gov
Drought
Earliest-on-record meltout dates at many SNOTEL sites; 62 of 73 Oregon water-supply forecast points are at or approaching historic lows. Drought.gov
Drought
As of May 13, 2026, ~51% of the US (and 61% of the Lower 48) is in some level of drought. US Drought Monitor

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Interior Mid-Atlantic (PA, MD) running toward daily record highs early in the week as an early-season heat wave pushes highs into the lower-to-mid 90s. WPC
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Northeast Regional Climate Center monthly tables track May running anomalies for ME, VT, and NH — useful for "wettest May in X years" callouts as the month closes. NRCC

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Michigan: Alpena (2.24 in) and Houghton Lake (2.97 in) both notched their wettest April day on record, setting the stage for an unusually saturated May. prev: POR record USDA WWCB
Context
Active severe weather pattern continued into early May with thunderstorm clusters across WI/MN; watch MRCC for May daily-record tally. MRCC

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Daily rainfall records across MO/IL/KS in late April (Springfield IL 3.62 in; Kansas City 3.21 in; Topeka 2.78 in; Lincoln IL 2.70 in). prev: date-specific records USDA WWCB
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Mid-Ohio Valley running 30s for low temps early May — within range of cold-side daily records. NWS RLX

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Florida daily-record highs early May: West Palm Beach 96°F, Ft. Lauderdale 95°F (May 2); Vero Beach 91°F/94°F (Apr 30 & May 2). prev: date-specific records USDA WWCB
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Daily rainfall records for May 2: Alma, GA 2.32 in; Tallahassee, FL 1.83 in. prev: date-specific records USDA WWCB
Context
GA, NC, SC just recorded their driest Sept 2025–Mar 2026 in the 131-year NCEI record. Drought.gov

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Heavy-rain corridor across TX into AR and Mid-South mid-week — flood-causing totals likely to threaten daily records at multiple sites. WPC
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Cooler-than-average May trending across MS/LA/southern AR with frequent thunderstorm activity. CPC

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Cold-side records to start May: Mobridge, SD bottomed at 22°F on May 1 (record low for date). Havre, MT 15°F and Cut Bank, MT 28°F high were also daily records in late April. prev: date-specific records USDA WWCB
Context
Exceptional drought (D4) expanded in SW Nebraska; ~88% of NE under some drought level. Drought.gov

Context
March 2026 already smashed monthly heat records in 180+ Southwest cities, with potential statewide March records in 17 states (Phoenix 105°F, Denver 87°F). May running cooler, but baseline for the season is anomalous. Yale Climate Connections

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Late-May heat surge forecast to push highs into the mid-90s — 20–25°F above normal, with daily record highs likely across the Willamette Valley and inland WA. Fox Weather
Context
Oregon April 1 snowpack ran among the lowest in the 45-year SNOTEL record. Drought.gov

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Late-April daily-record rainfall: Redding, CA 1.39 in; Tonopah, NV 0.50 in. prev: date-specific records USDA WWCB
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Building western ridge supporting another round of high-temperature records likely tied/broken mid-month. CPC
Context
98–100% of CA/NV SNOTEL stations in snow drought as of early April; April–July runoff forecast much below normal. Drought.gov