It's been a very gloomy May. Here's how much rain has fallen so far across New Jersey.
You don't need a rain gauge at your house to confirm that May has been a dreary, soggy month, with New Jersey being stuck in this seemingly endless rut of on-and-off showers.
After six straight days of measurable rain falling across the Garden State, you might think the record books are on the verge of being torn up. Well, they're not.
Despite all these soggy days, many parts of New Jersey -- primarily northern and central counties -- have picked up a grand total of only 1.5 inches of rain, according to preliminary data from the National Weather Service.
Mystery blob appears on Jersey Shore radar
The heaviest bands of rain have fallen in South Jersey, where Atlantic City picked up 3.5 inches of rain from May 1 through May 6. That's a little more rain than the Atlantic City region normally gets during the entire month of May.
However, that's still more than 5 inches short of Atlantic City's monthly rainfall record. Back in May 1948, the area was drenched with 8.8 inches of rain, and that record still holds today, according to weather service data.
This morning in Atlantic City @NatGeo @NatGeoPhotos Arizona Ave @JSHurricaneNews @NJTVNews @ACPlanningDept DuckTown pic.twitter.com/FGA8GfCDwg
-- City Of Atlantic (@CityOfAtlantic) May 6, 2016
Up in the Newark region, only 1.5 inches of rain has fallen this month. That area normally gets 4.1 inches of rain in May, and the monthly record is 10.2 inches, set in 1984.
Brighter skies to return
For everyone who is feeling down about this month's gloomy weather pattern, there's a little bit of good news. Although Saturday is expected to be mostly cloudy, there's only a small chance of rain early in the day.
Mother's Day will likely start out cloudy with scattered showers, but that should be followed by clearing skies and some sunshine in the afternoon, said Sarah Johnson, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service.
Monday could turn out to be the first rain-free day this month, with mostly sunny skies and temperatures near 70 -- which is normal for this time of year but far warmer than our recent highs in the 50s.
After that, forecasters say New Jersey could be heading into another unsettled weather pattern for at least several days.
"There is a silver lining to this weather pattern we're in," Johnson said, noting it has helped chip away at the rainfall deficit New Jersey has had during the past few months.
"It hasn't totally erased our deficit," she said, "but it certainly has helped."
Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality. Find NJ.com on Facebook.