According to the maps provided by the Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Indiana has a 50% chance to see above-normal temperatures for May. 

If you have followed long-term forecasts, a 50% chance is a fairly strong indication that temperatures could average above normal for the month.

At the same time, there is an equal chance that Indiana will be at, above, or below normal with respect to precipitation during May.

Here are four points related to what these predictions mean for May.

1. When May temperatures are averaged, there is a 50% chance they will be above normal. That’s true for all but northwest Indiana. It’s still expected to be warmer than normal, but the odds are more like 40%.

2. There can be cool days or even cool weeks embedded within an overall warm trend. Knowing forecasters are looking for above-normal averages for May temperatures doesn’t help you avoid that "worst day to plant." There could still be cool days, or even a cool week or two, within the month.

3. There is no indication how far above normal temperatures might be. Long-term forecasters can do a reasonably good job of predicting which direction a trend may go if they see factors that they can interpret, says Ken Scheeringa, associate state climatologist in Indiana. However, they don’t have a way to determine how strong or weak the trend might be. That’s why forecasters figured June 2012 would be warmer and drier than normal, but they had no way to know it would be one of the warmest, driest summers on record.

4. The precipitation forecast doesn’t rule out wet spells or very dry spells. All forecasters can say so far is that there are no factors that let them determine if it might be a wet, normal or dry spring. That’s why they say there are equal chances for it to be any one of the three, Scheeringa says.