May outlook: Wettest month of the year looks drier for Central Texas

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As drought continues to expand and worsen across Central Texas, so much hope for rain is pinned on our wettest month of the year in Central Texas.

The latest outlook from the Climate Prediction Center is for fairly high confidence in a drier than normal May.

May rainfall forecast

The CPC has fairly high confidence in less rainfall than normal in Central Texas in May. Now, that doesn't mean no rain for us, it doesn't mean no downpours, and it doesn't mean it won't be wet — it just means we're not looking as wet as normal ... which is normally rather wet!

Nationally drier than normal weather extends from the Plains to the Midwest and into some of the western states. Most of the eastern seaboard is looking wetter than normal for May.

May temperature forecast

After starting the year cooler than normal in January through March, April has had well-above normal temperatures in Central Texas. The May temperature outlook looks to continue the recent warm trend with high confidence in a warm month ahead.

Nationally, the southwestern and southeastern United States is looking warm in May with the colder than normal temperatures confined to the upper Midwest

What’s normal for May in Austin?

• Average High: 86.9
  • May 1 Average High: 83
  • May 31 Average High: 91
• Average Low: 66.8
  • May 1 Average Low: 63
  • May 30 Average Low: 71
• Average Rain: 5.04″ (Wettest month on average)

Stay with the First Warning Weather team as we track any rain or storms that we do get that could still bring severe weather or flash flooding to Central Texas.