Heavy Rain in California, May 1 to 15, 1998

The final estimated total damage figures for agriculture by county for the late winter/spring rain and below normal temperatures (Februrary through May) in Central California:Madera $7.1M ... Merced $10.2M ... Fresno $7.2M ... Kern $5.9M ... Kings $73.6M ... Tulare $5.3M. Fresno County had specifically $464K damage in May from inclement weather. For the rain season through May 31, Fresno had 71 days of measurable rain with Bakersfield having 68. Total rainfall for Bakersfield in May was 1.33" which was the 5th wettest on record ... Fresno had 1.37" which was the 8th wettest. Bakersfield's year-to-date total as of 5/31/98 was 14.36" eclipsing the old record set in 1977-78 of 11.78" and compared to a normal of only 5.72". Fresno's total rain was at 18.43" which is the 5th wettest on record and compares to a normal of 10.60"/year. There were no 90 degree days in Fresno or Bakersfield in May 1998. This is only the third time on record for either city that the warmest day did not reach 90 degrees during the month. The average monthly temperature for Bakersfield was only 61.0 degs F with the old record of 61.7 degs F in 1911. Fresno's average monthly temperature was 62.0 degs F with the coolest of 61.7 degs F in 1953. However, Fresno did have a record monthly low maximum temperature of 72.5 degs compared to the old record of 74.8 degs in 1953.