Kalin's Call: Maritime provinces experienced a drier-than-average May

A wildfire is seen near Horseshoe Lake in Yarmouth County on May 11, 2022. (SOURCE: Twitter: Department of Natural Resources)

The big standout for weather in the Maritimes last month was how dry it was. A good portion of the Maritimes saw only half or less than the 30-year (1981-2010) climate average for the month.

Some of the drier areas included southern New Brunswick, northern and eastern Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

It was a dry May 2022 for the Maritime region. Many areas reporting about half or less of the 30 year climate normal in total precipitation.

The month actually started on a chilly note when it came to temperatures. Several weather stations in the region recorded new daily record lows on May 7 and May 8. A few days later, a ridge of high pressure sent temperatures soaring upward for the period of May 11-14.

The heat peaked on May 14, with some in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia reporting their first 30-degree temperatures of the year and with P.E.I. reporting into the high 20s. Overall, the month finished with near-to-above average daily temperatures.

Despite some colder periods at the start of the month by the end of May average daily temperature was near-to-above normal for most.

Sea surface temperatures surrounding the Maritimes were generally above normal at the end of the month. The greatest departure for coastal areas of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Northumberland Strait, Cabot Strait, and Bay of Fundy.

A map of sea surface temperature anomaly (departure from normal) for Atlantic Canada. Reds indicate areas of above normal temperatures and blues below normal.

Looking ahead, predictive models run by Environment Canada indicate that June is likely to finish with above-normal temperatures and near-normal precipitation. The three-month outlook, which includes June, July, and August predicts above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation through that period.

This summary from data and files provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada.