Will May 2023 go down as one of the driest on record?

With no rain falling at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport on Sunday, we have gone over a week without picking up any measurable rainfall. Overall, this month has been dry, with almost two-thirds of the days this month being dry. 

How much rain has fallen in Youngstown during May?

This month has been dry here in the Valley, with only seven days having measurable rainfall and 17 days so far this month being dry. Overall, 1.30″ of rain has fallen at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport this month, which is 2″ below normal. 

With only three days left until the start of June and only one slight chance for rain in the forecast, this will likely be the total rainfall for the entire month.

To put into perspective how dry this May has been compared to recent years, in May 2022, we received 4.76″, and in 2021, 4.03″ of rain fell. The average rainfall for the month of May in Youngstown is 3.72″.

Will May 2023 be one of the driest on record for Youngstown?

While this May will not go down as the driest May on record, it will likely be the driest May since 1928. If no more rain falls, it will go down into the record books as one of the 10 driest Mays on record for Youngstown. 

The driest May on record in Youngstown is May 1934, when only 0.46″ of rain fell. While we did see more rain than that, it looks pretty safe to say that May 2023 will be the sixth driest May on record. 

Here is a look at the top 10 driest Mays on record for Youngstown