For meteorologists, spring ended May 31, which means we can look back at the season and the month of May. Both show some interesting climate highlights.

The Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy, which gathers its information from the National Weather Service and NOAA, highlighted warm temperatures and precipitation across the state.

Starting in Western Alaska, warm sea surface temperatures and a consistent southerly wind flow meant the second earliest ice melt-out in the Bering Sea. The Chukchi Sea saw its lowest ice extent/area on record with 13 times more open water than normal. Alaska also saw the earliest break up on record for the Kuskokwim River, which occurred on April 12.

Anchorage had its wettest May on record with 2.18 inches of rain. Anchorage saw .76 inches of rain on May 26. To put that in perspective, the "normal" amount of rain for the whole month of May is .72 inches.

Kotzebue, McGrath, Fairbanks, Utqiagvik, Prudhoe Bay and Northway all saw their warmest springs-- meaning March, April and May--on record.

The southern Panhandle

during the last two weeks of May. This is the first time any location in Alaska has been classified as "extreme drought."