Highlights

• Globally, may set new temperature records since the beginning of Industrialization. On a global scale, may was 0.63°C warmer than the a verage may from 1981-2010 (ECMWF). Alaska was a hotspot: temperatures were above normal across all of Alaska, with the warmest temperatures along the west coast.
• Nome set a new record for monthly average temperature of 45.7°F, breaking the previous record of 43.8°f set in 1983.
• Most of Alaska was drier than normal with the exception of Bethel, Delta Junction, and Juliana.
• Alaska continued to be free of abnormal dryness and drought despite drier than normal conditions.
• Dry weather and lightning have triggered several wildfires.
• Sea ice extent at the end of May was below average in the Chukchi sea, but less so than in recent years.