Rainfall This May Blew Away Previous Records

Story by Corinne Saunders

By all accounts, this May was the wettest May ever recorded in the High Country.

The official U.S. Weather Service reporting station located next to Grandfather Mountain’s Mile High Swinging Bridge recorded 13.59 inches of rainfall this May, smashing the previous record of 9.76 inches that was set in 1976.

This record-breaking total fell in sharp contrast to last year’s rainfall—or lack thereof— that marked the seventh driest May ever recorded.

This May was 8.07 inches, or 68 percent, above the 53-year average rainfall total of 5.52 inches for the month at Grandfather.

The 2009 rainfall total to date is 32.11 inches—6.64 (26 percent) above the 53-year norm.

This May, Mt. Mitchell received 12.86 inches of rain; Lenoir, 9.50; Boone, 9.33; Spruce Pine, 9.12; Jefferson, 8.74; North Wilkesboro, 8.63; Waynesville, 8.37; Beech Mountain, 8.09; Asheville, 7.47; and Black Mountain, 6.05, according to RaysWeather.com.

The website also states that much higher totals of 16 inches and more were reported, especially in Wilkes County and along the eastern escarpment of the Appalachians up to the Blue Ridge.

For more info on the 53 years of weather data from Grandfather Mountain, click to www.grandfather.com.

For more info on local weather for northwestern North Carolina, click to www.RaysWeather.com.