Rain not enough to make May a wet month

Despite all of the rain, the month of May still ended up being drier than normal statewide — and the threat of drought ahead continues to loom.Iowa climatologist Harry Hillaker says the statewide rainfall average of three-point-thirty-eight inches was about six-tenths of an inch below normal for May. Even though six-tenths of an inch doesn’t sound like much rain, Hillaker says it can make a world of difference.Among the exceptions, Waterloo was water-logged. Hillaker says the city in Black Hawk County had more than eight-and-a-half inches of rain during May, breaking an all-time record set in 1902.Hillaker says May was also a little over two degrees warmer than normal, a trend he expects will carry over in the coming weeks. He says June will likely have less rainfall than normal and higher temperatures. He says the higher temps will dry out what rain we go get.Another unusual weather event in May — Shenandoah reported 98 degrees for a high temperature on May 11th. That’s the warmest it’s been that early in the year since 1994 and only the sixth time it’s been that hot, that soon.