Rain totals and temperatures set records for May in the Yachats area

The Yachats area had a record amount of rain in May and it was so cold that the number of days – two – that reached 60 degrees were the same as the months of January and February, according to local weather watchers.

New rainfall records for the month were set up and down the Yachats river, north of Yachats and even the city’s rain gauge at the wastewater treatment plant. This follows an equally wet and cold April.

The city’s gauge measured 7.60 inches of rain in May – nearly an inch more than the previous high for the month set back in 2010. Still, the city’s total for the year is 30.85 inches – six inches less than the average total for the first five months the past 10 years.

But it was quite different up the Yachats River valley, which provides water for the city’s drinking water system.

Jim Adler, who lives three miles upriver, has been measuring rainfall for 14 years. He had a record 13.18 inches of rain in May for a year-to-date total of 51.84 inches. His average May rainfall is 4.69 inches.

Bob Williams, who lives eight miles upriver, measured 16.34 inches of rain in May for a five-month total of 61.20 inches. Jean-Marc Rolland lives two miles farther east and measured 13.05 inches in May for a year-to-date total of 57.41 inches.

Don Tucker, who lives two miles north of Yachats and has been recording rain, temperatures and wind for 17 years, measured 10.31 inches of rain in May – a record for him. His total was twice the previous highs for the month.

Adam Altson, who lives near the ocean and the city’s wastewater treatment plant, recorded 8.01 inches of rain for May.

“I had at least .01 inches of rain or more on 23 days, continuing the trend from April,” Altson said. “And after a day with no measurable rain on May 11, we followed that up with almost 3.5 inches of rain over the next four days.”

Altson said that while his records don’t go back too far, May 8, 9, and 13 were the first times in May that he recorded temperatures under 40 degrees, with a low of 37.9 on May 8. Yachats had temperatures higher than 60 degrees only twice in May – May 26 and May 30.

“Most Mays have many more,” he said. “In fact, to add some perspective, we had two 60 degree days in both January and February.”