So far, the month of June isn't exactly giving us that close to summer feel, but that will likely change. We just have to wait on a shift in our weather pattern. Right now, we're really picking up the new month where May left off.
We know the month of May can bring big temperatures swings. We certainly saw that this year. Our high temperatures ranged from a chilly 48 to a toasty 87. Much of the month was abnormally cool with 18 days bringing in cooler than average high temperatures.
We can't really blame wet weather for keeping the temperature down in May. There are a few pockets, especially across the western half of Central Indiana, with abnormally dry conditions. Indy came in a little more than one inch below average in May rainfall.
So, back to that pattern change I mentioned earlier. We won't have to wait very long. By Friday, high temperatures make the climb back into the 80s. It also looks like the summer warmth is going to stick around this time. A strong ridge is expected to build through at least the first half of June. This means temperatures are likely to stay warm. This lines up with the Climate Prediction Center calling for above average temperatures across much of Central Indiana. During the month of June, our average high climbs from the upper 70s to the middle 80s.
When it comes to wet weather in June, we usually see quite a bit. With an average of nearly five inches of rain, June is typically our wettest month of the year. The Climate Prediction Center outlook suggests rainfall totals could be a little higher than that across southern portions of Central Indiana. Meanwhile, the rest of the state is in the equal chances category with little influence to tip the scale in either direction. Heading into the next couple of weeks, it's unlikely any of us will see a lot of rain. That's thanks to the ridge responsible for bringing in the warmer temperatures. It's possible this pattern could lead to an expansion of the dry conditions already noted across part of the state. That's one reason our soggy start to June isn't necessarily a bad thing.
