Chicago Weather: Most Rain For May In 148 Years Of Record-Keeping

CHICAGO (CBS) - If all the rainfall we've seen recently sounds like a broken record, it is!

The National Weather Service confirms this month was the wettest May on record.

As of Thursday morning,  8.24 inches of rain has fallen at Chicago International Airport, where official records are kept. The previous record was 8.21 inches in May of 2018.

Memorial Day, was the wettest day this month with almost 2 inches of rain.

"We've been locked in a persistent pattern for weeks, not just here, but across the entire U.S.," said CBS Chicago Meteorologist Robb Ellis.  "It means stormy and rainy conditions for the Midwest and Plains, and ongoing heat for the Southeast. The result is we've seen the wettest May in 148 years."

The normal average for May is 3.68 inches.

Here are the top 10 wettest Mays:

May 2019             8.22 inches

May 2018             8.21

May 1945             7.59

May 1883             7.32

May 2011             7.27

May 2004             7.22

May 1873             7.20

May 1935             7.09

May 1943             7.08

May 1915             7.04