May weather folklore: Wet & dry, hay in the barn, and 3 chilly saints

We've all heard that April showers bring May flowers, but what does May bring? May is a month full of spring! Temperatures get warmer, flowers bloom, and everything is green. So, let's dive into some weather folklore surrounding May.

Up first is the saying, "When September has been rainy, the following May is generally dry. When May is dry, September is apt to be wet."

This one is a little less common for May folklore, but it draws a connection between May and September. According to the saying, a rainy September means a dry May. Springfield averages 4.31" of rainfall in September, but September 2024 was very dry with just 1.71" of rain.

What does that mean for May, then? Well, this bit of folklore doesn't necessarily have an answer, but if you reverse the weather conditions from wet to dry in September, perhaps the same can be done for the following May.

Next up, "A wet May will find a barn full of hay." There are many weather sayings for May that revolve around having a full barn. This ties into the saying, "April showers bring May flowers," in that May is a month of growth and is usually lush.

Lastly, with the Papal Conclave set to make a decision soon in the Vatican, it only seems appropriate that the final May folklore be the 3 Chilly Saints. The 3 Chilly Saints are St. Mamertus, St. Pancras, and St. Gervais. These French saints celebrated their respective days on May 11, 12, and 13, marking the occasion with a feast.

The French believed in waiting until after these days had passed before doing any planting to avoid frost damage to plants. In the United States, a similar saying is to wait to plant until after Good Friday.