Quarterly Climate Impacts 

and Outlook

Northeast Region

June 2018

National Significant Events – March–May 2018 

Record rainfall caused flooding and 

mudslides in the mid-Atlantic and 

southeast. FL and MD were record wet.

March

The contiguous U.S. had an average spring temperature 

of 52.4°F, 1.5°F above the 20th century average. Average 

temperatures for March, April, and May were 42.6°F, 1.1°F 

above average, 48.9°F, 2.2°F below average, and 65.4°F, 

5.2°F above average respectively. It was the warmest May 

on record. Globally, it was the fifth warmest March and third 

warmest April on record. During spring, the contiguous U.S. 

received 7.91 inches of precipitation, slightly below average. 

March, April, and May precipitation totaled 2.42 inches, 0.09 

inch below average, 2.41 inches, 0.11 inch below average, and 

2.97 inches, 0.06 inch above average respectively.

Regional Climate Overview – March–May 2018

Temperature Departure from Normal (°F)

March 1-May 31, 2018

Selected U.S. Significant Climate Anomalies Highlights for the Northeast

and Events for May and Spring 2018 On March 2, the first of several nor'easters brought significant snowfall. Up to 

40 inches of snow fell in central and eastern New York, while up to 5 inches 

of rain was reported in southern New England and Long Island, which caused 

flooding. Strong winds associated with the storm downed trees and power 

lines; wind gusts greater than 90 mph were reported in Massachusetts. On 

March 7 a nor'easter brought rain, heavy, wet snow, and strong winds; over 

two feet of snow fell from New Jersey to Vermont. There was significant tree 

damage, exceeding that of Hurricane Sandy in some New Jersey towns that 

were still recovering in May. Flooded streets led to road closures and wind 

gusts caused over 320,000 customers to lose power in Massachusetts. A 

nor'easter moved through the region on March 13-14, bringing heavy, wet 

snow, and strong winds. Blizzard conditions were reported in Massachusetts 

and Rhode Island causing additional power outages. Boston and Worcester, 

MA, ranked this storm as their largest one-day March snowfall on record. A 

storm on March 21 brought the biggest snowfall of the year to Washington, 

D.C. and caused New Jersey to declare a state of emergency. April began 

with over 5 inches of snow in New York City and strong winds a few days 

later that downed trees and power lines. A gust of 113 mph was recorded at 

Whiteface Mountain, NY. Melting snow and recent rain led to a mudslide on 

April 5 in East Pittsburgh, PA. May had severe weather and flooding, see 

page 2 for details. On May 21 and 22, three sinkholes appeared in Frederick 

and Annapolis, Maryland, as a result of heavy rain and flash flooding.

Contact: Ellen Mecray (Ellen.L.Mecray@noaa.gov)

Jessica Spaccio (jlr98@cornell.edu)

Below-normal temperatures in March and 

April combined with the warmth from May 

for a near-normal Spring in the Northeast. 

In March, ten of twelve states were colder 

than normal, with the month finishing at 

2.1°F below normal. April was 4.8°F below 

normal, ranking this as the sixth coldest 

April on record; every state was colder than 

normal. May was 4.9°F warmer than normal, 

ranking as the fifth warmest on record, and 

all states ranked amongst their 20 warmest 

on record.

Precipitation Percent of Normal (%)

March 1-May 31, 2018

Spring precipitation was 103% of normal. 

Much of New England experienced lower 

percentages of normal precipitation, 

compared to the southern part of the 

region. March precipitation was on 

the dry side, with 89% of normal. April

precipitation was 115% of normal. May

precipitation was 97% of normal, though 

Maryland had its wettest May on record 

with 7.68 inches of precipitation.

Drought in the Northeast

U.S. Drought Monitor

June 21, 2018

Moderate drought persisted in a small area 

of Maryland in March and April, before 

improving to moderately dry and then 

normal in May. Plentiful precipitation has 

eliminated drought concerns in New Jersey, 

as reservoirs and ground water levels are 

healthy. Abnormally dry conditions were 

introduced in New Hampshire in May and 

expanded to more of New England and 

New York in June. By mid-June, the U.S. 

Drought Monitor showed 29% of the region 

as abnormally dry. 

Northeast Region Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook|June 2018

https://www.drought.gov/drought/resources/reports
Regional Impacts and Updates – March–May 2018

Spring Conditions

Coastal Flooding in Scituate, MA, on 

March. Credit: Ralph Karl Swenson, 

SKYWARN Spotter. 

The cold March allowed ski resorts to extend their season and was good for some farmers as 

there was no early blooming and fewer diseases and insects in the soil. On the other hand, some 

farmers had delayed growth, and the cool March stalled the maple syrup season. Despite cold winter 

temperatures, ticks are an issue this spring, as most survived due to the insulation provided by 

above-normal snowfall in many areas. The March storms brought coastal flooding, beach erosion, 

power outages, numerous school cancellations, accidents, and travel delays throughout much of the 

region. Disrupted travel led to increased trucking costs. On April 16–17, heavy rain and wind gusts 

up to 53 mph were recorded in Massachusetts, which created unfavorable conditions for participants 

of the Boston Marathon. The storm brought flooding to other areas. The continuation of cooler temperatures and snow into April reduced 

business for some nurseries, as the greening of lawns and blossoming of spring flowers was delayed by up to two weeks in some areas. 

A severe weather outbreak on May 15 brought intense downpours which caused flooding, trapped people in 

cars, and closed roads. Frederick, MD, experienced significant flooding. Large hail was reported in several 

states. There were strong winds that downed trees and power lines that caused 600,000 customers in 

Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to lose power, and unfortunately also resulted in 

five deaths. The tree and wire damage was worsened by the March storms. There were several confirmed 

tornadoes and downbursts in New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. A meteotsunami formed on the 

Long Island Sound. Train line services were suspended, stranding thousands during rush hour. A state of 

emergency was declared for part of New York. Pottstown, PA, reported a gust of 81 mph. This was one of the 

largest outbreaks for the region in the last 29 years.

On May 28, over nine inches of rain near Catonsville, MD, caused serious flooding in Ellicott City, MD, where 

estimates show the Patapsco River rose 17.8 ft. in less than two hours. The flood heavily damaged buildings 

and houses along the city's Main Street, and caused more than $20 million in damage. 

Tree down in Waymart, PA. 

Credit: NWS BGM 

Regional Outlook – Summer 2018

Temperature and Precipitation Atlantic Hurricane Season

Severe Weather

Probability of above normal (A) 

Normal July–September average 

temperatures range from the upper 50s in 

northern New York and northern New England 

to the mid 70s in the Mid-Atlantic. NOAA's 

Climate Prediction Center (CPC) is calling 

for an increased chance of above-normal 

temperatures (left map). The precipitation 

outlook favors above-normal precipitation 

for the southern portion of the region (right 

map). Normal July–September precipitation 

ranges from less than 10 inches near Lake 

Ontario in New York to more than 15 inches in 

New York's Catskills and higher elevations of 

Vermont and New Hampshire.

According to CPC, ENSO-neutral is favored 

through summer 2018, with the chance of El 

Niño increasing to 50% during fall and near 

65% during winter.

NOAA's 2018 Atlantic hurricane outlook

indicates a 35% chance this season will be 

more active than normal, a 40% chance it 

will be near-normal, and a 25% chance it 

will be below-normal. The outlook calls for 

"10–16 named storms (winds of 39 mph 

or higher), of which 5–9 could become 

hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), 

including 1–4 major hurricanes (winds of 

111 mph or higher)." The Atlantic hurricane 

season runs from June 1 through November 

30, with a peak from mid-August to late 

ENSO

Early-Jun CPC/IRI Probabilistic ENSO 

Northeast Regional Partners

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

offices including:

 NESDIS/National Centers for Environmental 

Information

 NWS, Eastern Region

 NWS, Climate Prediction Center

 NWS, National Operational Hydrologic Remote 

Sensing Center

 NMFS, Fisheries Science Centers and Regional 

Office, Atlantic

 NOS, Office for Coastal Management

 OAR, Climate Program Office and Geophysical 

Fluid Dynamics Lab

 OAR, National Sea Grant Office

 NOAA's North Atlantic and Great Lakes Regional 

Collaboration Teams

Northeast Regional Climate Center

National Integrated Drought Information System

Consortium of Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast

Cooperative Institute for the North Atlantic 

Research

Northeast Region State Climatologists

Mid-Atlantic RISA

Contact: Ellen Mecray (Ellen.L.Mecray@noaa.gov)

Jessica Spaccio (jlr98@cornell.edu)

Northeast Region Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook|June 2018

https://www.drought.gov/drought/resources/reports