For the first half of April 2023, nearly all of the region was warmer than normal, but rainfall was very much hit or miss, with some areas receiving several times their usual rainfall while others had practically nothing. Generally the driest areas were also the warmest, which is not a surprise because there cloud cover is likely reduced, allowing more solar heating to raise temperatures. According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, the second half of April is likely to be cooler than average with a slight tilt towards wetter than normal conditions.