We’re halfway through April and I thought it might be interesting to look at how the climate is doing so far this month.  The maps below from the High Plains Regional Climate Center show the month to date departures from normal for temperature and precipitation.  The maps clearly show that so far April is running quite far above normal in temperature.  If that trend continued, we would be in the running for the warmest April ever.  However, forecasts for the rest of the month give us an enhanced chance of below normal temperatures, so that is not too likely.  The rain and clouds around this week will help keep temperatures cooler.

For rainfall, the Southeast is running slightly above normal, with the exception of southwestern Alabama and southern Mississippi.  The prediction for the rest of this month is for wet conditions to continue, so we can expect April to end up above average for the whole month.  I’m sure farmers are hoping not to see a repeat of last April, the third wettest in the Southeast since records started in 1895.

You can make your own maps like this at https://www.hprcc.unl.edu/maps/current/

temp departure apr 2015 4-15-2015   precip dep apr 2015 4-15-2015

Posted in: