Northeast Region:
(Information provided by the Northeast
Regional Climate Center)
- Every one of the states in the Northeast averaged within the
top twenty warmest on record in April. New York had its 3rd warmest
April since 1895 and Maryland placed 19th in the rankings of
warmest Aprils. The Northeast overall averaged 48.3°F
(9.1°C), which made this month the 6th warmest April in 114
years. Departures ranged from 2.8°F (1.5°C) above normal
in Maryland to 5.5°F (3.0°C) in New York.
- On average, the Northeast saw 90% of its normal April
precipitation. The extreme southern and northern states saw the
most precipitation this month while the centrally located states
saw the least. Maryland, Maine, West Virginia and New Hampshire
were the wettest states, with 129%, 116%, 114% and 104% of normal
precipitation, respectively. New York (67% of normal), New Jersey
(71% of normal) and Pennsylvania (75% of normal) were the driest
spots. Rainfall this month resulted in an improvement in drought
conditions in southeastern Maryland and southern Delaware. These
areas, which had previously been classified as in severe drought
for an extended period, experienced an improvement in conditions to
moderate drought levels by the end of April.
- Strong thunderstorms brought torrential rain and two small
tornados to portions of Charles, Prince Georges, Baltimore and
Harford Counties in MD on April 20th. Spotter reports included
flash flooding, downed trees and structural damage to two schools
and a few homes. High water levels along the St. John River during
the end of April flooded more than 100 homes and businesses in Fort
Kent, ME, and caused the International Bridge between Fort Kent and
Clair, New Brunswick, Canada to be closed amid fears of its
collapse. Snowmelt from the record winter snowfall and 2-3 inches
(5-8 cm) of rain at the end of April sent the river 5 feet (1.5 m)
above flood stage and 2.8 feet (0.85 m) above the previous record
set in 1979. Parts of Fort Kent through Van Buren in Aroostook
County, ME were evacuated while Canadian officials warned residents
downstream to prepare for the worst flood since 1973. Elsewhere in
northern Maine, flood warnings were issued for sections of the
Penobscot River, the Aroostook River, the Fish River and the
Mattawamkeag River.
For more information, please go to the Northeast
Regional Climate Center Home Page.
Midwest Region:
(Information provided by the Midwest
Regional Climate Center)
- There was a marked difference in both temperature and
precipitation across the Midwest during April 2008, but patterns
for both were very similar. Along a line from northeastern
Wisconsin to northwestern Illinois to central Kentucky, average
daily temperatures were near normal, rising eastward to as much as
5°F (2.8°C) above normal in northeastern Ohio. West of
the aforementioned line, temperatures were below normal during the
month. The largest departures of 3°F (1.7°C) to 5°F
(2.8°C) below normal occurred from Minnesota south through the
western halves of Iowa and Missouri. Temperatures did not reach the
70s (21-26°C) across much of the region until the second week
of April.
- April precipitation was 150-200% of normal from southern
Missouri northward through the eastern half of Iowa, Wisconsin,
northern Minnesota, and the Michigan Upper Peninsula (UP). In
contrast, precipitation was 60-75% of normal for the month from
eastern Illinois through most of Indiana, Ohio, and southern Lower
Michigan. Areas of above normal precipitation coincided closely
with the colder areas of the Midwest in April, and the drier areas
with the warmer eastern Midwest. The wet weather pattern over the
southern Midwest in February and March continued into the first
half of April. In the period between February 10 and April 10, 16
to 20 inches (40.6 to 50.8 cm) of precipitation accumulated across
the southern third of Missouri, far southern Illinois, and far
western Kentucky, two to three times normal. The 3-month period
from February-April 2008 was the wettest on record for the Midwest
region, with an average of 11.64 inches (29.6 cm) of precipitation.
This was also the wettest February-April for Missouri with over 18
inches (460 mm) of precipitation, and second-wettest for Illinois.
The continuation of wet weather rapidly improved dry conditions
across the Midwest, and the April 8 U.S.
Drought Monitor marked the first time since the second week of
May 2005 that there was no D1 (Moderate) drought depicted anywhere
in the Midwest.
- April snowfall was seven times normal across much of Minnesota,
and two to three times normal across the northern half of Wisconsin
and the Michigan UP. At the end of the month, there was still more
than 4 inches (10.2 cm) of snow over much of northern Minnesota,
and more than a foot across the Arrowhead. During April, the
northern Midwest made up for the lack of snow early in the season
when four weather systems dropped heavy snow on the region. On
April 1, 8-10 inches (20-25 cm) of snow piled up in the central UP
of Michigan, with 18-24 inches (46-61 cm) in Marquette County. A
few days later, a small but strong wave of low pressure produced a
narrow band of heavy snow from eastern North Dakota across the Iron
Range of northern Minnesota. Snowfall amounts across northern
Minnesota were generally in the 6-12 inch (15-30 cm) range, but
portions of St. Louis County received more than two feet (61 cm) of
snow. Babbitt, MN recorded 26 inches (66.0 cm) of snow, and 32
inches (81.3 cm) accumulated near Virginia, MN. This was the
largest ever April multi-day snowfall in the Iron Range. The heavy
wet snow caused trees and powers lines to snap, resulting in power
outages to thousands of customers. During April, the combination of
snow melt and heavy rain resulted in continued flooding of rivers
and streams throughout the northern half of the region,
particularly in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. At the
end of the month, major flooding was occurring on the Mississippi
River between Rock Island, IL and Burlington, IA. Moderate flooding
was occurring on some rivers in Iowa, northern Illinois, and
southern Wisconsin.
For details on the weather and climate events of the Midwest during
April, see the weekly summaries in the
MRCC Midwest Climate Watch page.
Southeast Region:
(Information provided by the Southeast Regional
Climate Center)
- Richmond, VA and Washington, D.C. both had average April
temperatures more than 2.4°F (1.5°C) above normal, while
some southern locations had slightly below normal temperatures for
the month. Much of this was attributed to short spells of rather
low overnight temperatures around the 15th and again on the 30th of
the month. These cold snaps were not nearly as devastating as the
Easter freeze of April 2007. On April 30, the temperature at
Montgomery, AL was 40°F (4°C), 4°F (2°C) below
normal.
- With a few notable exceptions, April was a rather quiet month.
There was some rain throughout the region, although relatively few
intense storms and little flooding. Many stations in the northern
part of the region had above normal rainfall for the month, with
Richmond, VA exceeding its long term average by over 150%, with a
monthly total of 8.32 inches (211 mm). Much of this fell between
April 20-22, when an upper level low brought rain to much of
Virginia and eastern North Carolina. Cape Hatteras, on the Carolina
coast, had its third wettest April since 1895. No major recording
stations anywhere in the region were more than 1 inches (25 mm)
below their long-term average values for the month. During the last
3 months, large portions of the coastal plains of all states have
had slightly above normal precipitation, but inland areas received
less than normal. Areas west of Charlotte, NC, south of Atlanta, GA
and east of Birmingham, AL all have had little more than 50% of
their usual precipitation since the beginning of February. Despite
the recent rain, dry conditions continued throughout most of the
region, with the northern parts of Alabama and Georgia, along with
west-central North Carolina, still categorized as experiencing
Extreme Drought. In some regions, particularly in the north, the
reservoirs were full at month's end, giving a superficial
impression that the drought was over. However, ground water levels
were still very low, with many wells throughout the region having
levels several feet below normal.
- Near the end of April, a strong frontal boundary passed through
southeastern Virginia, producing 10 reports of tornadoes, the worst
producing EF-3
magnitude damage. The most recent outbreak of such strong tornadoes
in that area was back in 1993, when one touched down in Middlesex
County, in the same system as an F4 twister in the Petersburg, VA
area.
For more information, please go to the Southeast Regional
Climate Center Home Page.
High Plains Region:
(Information provided by the High Plains
Regional Climate Center)
- The average temperature patterns warmed over the region during
April, which is typical for this time of year, with the coldest
temperatures to the north and the warmest temperatures to the
south. The exception was in the mountains, where the average
temperatures were the lowest owing to the decrease in temperature
with elevation. The average April temperature over the region was
below the April mean temperature for the normal period 1971-2000,
with ranges across the region of 0-8°F (0-4°C) below
average for the month. A few stations in Colorado and Kansas
experienced temperatures from 0-2°F (0-1°C) above the
monthly normal.
- Dryness was present over the western two thirds of the High
Plains region during the month of April 2008. Dry areas in the
eastern third of the region improved significantly with respect to
March. Snow fell in the western Dakotas and in western Nebraska and
in the mountainous states of Wyoming and Colorado, while much of
the east and southeast portion of the region received mostly
rainfall. Several stations in the western part of the region
received 0.1 inches (2.5 mm) of precipitation or less, while
stations in southeast Kansas received 5-8 inches (127-203 mm) of
precipitation. A few parts of the region were above 100% of normal
and some areas approached 200% of the normal precipitation for the
30 year period 1971-2000.
For more information, please go to the High Plains
Regional Climate Center Home Page.
Southern Region:
(Information provided by the Southern
Regional Climate Center)
- The month of April was associated with near-normal temperatures
throughout the domain of the Southern Region, with most average
values deviating only slightly from normal. In general,
temperatures were only slightly above normal in the gulf rim and
slightly below normal in northern Oklahoma and northern Arkansas.
The most anomalous temperatures were observed in northern
Mississippi and eastern Tennessee, where values were ranged from
2-5°F (1-3°C) above the expected values.
- April monthly precipitation totals varied spatially throughout
the Southern Region. The wettest portions of the region included
most of Arkansas, western Tennessee, and central and northeastern
Texas. In the state of Arkansas, only the southern counties that
border Louisiana received near-normal or below-normal
precipitation, and the rest received precipitation values that
ranged from 150 to over 200 percent of normal. For example, Mammoth
Spring recorded a total of 9.08 inches (~230 mm) for the month,
which equates to 208% of normal. In central and northeastern Texas,
precipitation totals in ranged from almost 3.5 inches (89 mm) in
the vicinity of Austin, to approximately 5 inches (127 mm) at Waco.
The former equates to roughly 140% of normal, while the latter
equates to roughly 180% of normal precipitation. Elsewhere in the
state, conditions were quite dry with precipitation totals ranging
from as low as 4% of normal at El Paso and Del Rio, to
approximately 30% near Amarillo and 40% at Houston. In Oklahoma,
April precipitation totals were quite low in the panhandle
(approximately 5-25% of normal), near-normal in the central
counties, and anomalously high (130-230% of normal) in the eastern
quarter of the state. Tulsa, OK recorded a total of 9.33 (237 mm)
inches of precipitation, or 236% of normal. In Louisiana and
southern Mississippi, precipitation totals for the month at most
stations varied from approximately 25 to 50% of normal. In
Tennessee, precipitation anomalies in the western quarter of the
state ranged from 130 to 150% of normal. Similar values were also
observed in northeastern Mississippi. Heavy rains in the upper
reaches of the Lower Mississippi river spawned historic water
levels along the Mississippi River this past month. At the
Mississippi River hydrological station in Vicksburg, TN, water
levels reached a stage of 50.77 feet (15.47 m) on April 26, making
this the 7th highest crest in that location's history. As the
aforementioned crests were approaching, so too were fears of high
levee pressure and associated flood risks in New Orleans. As a
result, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal gave the order to open the
Bonnet Carré spillway on April 11, 2008. Last opened in 1997,
this event marked the ninth opening of the spillway since 1927.
- With the onset of spring, a dramatic increase in the number of
severe weather reports was observed in the Southern Region. A
number of weak tornadoes were reported in Arkansas on April 3rd
near the towns of Benton, Bryant, Little Rock and Gravel Ridge.
Although no damage was reported from the tornadoes, the same storms
brought large hail that damaged several trees and roofs. The
following day, softball-sized hail was reported in Decatur, TX and
tennis ball-sized hail was reported in Denton, TX. On April 7th, a
tornado was reported in Electra, TX, with no reports of damage. Two
days later, tornadoes were reported in Arnett, TX and in
Gatesville, TX. Several hail reports in the vicinity of these
tornadoes were also made; most of which resulted in minor damage to
roofs and trees. Two days later, non-damaging tornadoes were
reported in the following locations in Texas: Tye, Breckenridge,
and Graford, and in Oklahoma: Soper and Kent. The same storm system
delivered baseball-sized hail to Hamby, TX. On the 11th of the
month, several twisters were reported in the state of Tennessee
near the towns of Dickson, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg, Manchester, and
McMinnville, damaging multiple homes and trailers. The same day, a
tornado in Opelousas, LA damaged power lines and downed numerous
trees. On the 22nd, tennis ball-sized hail was reported in Baton
Rouge, LA., while on the 23rd, several tornadoes touched down in
central Texas near Rotan, Roby, Anson, Hawley, Lueders and Albany
with no damage reports.
For more information, please go to the Southern
Regional Climate Center Home Page.
Western Region:
(Information provided by the Western
Regional Climate Center)
- Temperatures throughout the West were below normal except for
the extreme southwest, with some locations reporting their coolest
April in over a decade. Great Falls, MT reported a new April record
low temperature of -8°F (-22°C) on the 21st, which was
also the new record for the latest spring date below 0°F
(-18°C). There has been a widespread perception that this has
been a more traditional winter like those of the past. The cool
winter and its extension into spring have significantly delayed the
snow melt season, especially in the northern half of the region,
with concerns rising for late spring flooding from the heavy
mountain snow packs.
- Precipitation was below normal throughout the entire region.
Many stations in California and Nevada reported their driest
March-April total precipitation. Mountain snowpack, however,
remained healthy with most of the intermountain and northwest
reporting above normal snow packs on May 1st. Only the central
Sierra was below average at a dismal 56% of normal. The Central
Sierra Snow Lab, near Donner Summit, CA, measured only 26 inches
(66 cm) of snow for March and April combined. The average is 112
inches (285 cm).
- There were only a handful of noteworthy events for April 2008
western weather. A strong cold front passed through Reno, NV on the
14th, producing winds of over 80 mph (129 km/hr) in certain
locations, which produced light to moderate damage to roofs,
uprooted trees and downed power lines. Parts of greater Seattle
experienced a rare April snow event on the 18th with some locations
measuring up to 2 inches (5 cm) of snow. This same event produced
blizzard conditions in western Montana on the 19th, closing
Interstate 90 near Deer Lodge for nearly 12 hours.
For more information, please go to the Western
Regional Climate Center Home Page.
Alaska: (Information provided by Audrey
Rubel at NOAA NWS Alaska Region Headquarters.)
- Temperatures in the Juneau, Alaska Weather Forecast Office
(WFO) area were cooler than normal during April, primarily a result
of cool daytime highs in northern locations. Cold Bay, Alaska, set
a new record high maximum temperature for April 13th of 52°F
(11°C), breaking the previous record of 48°F (9°C)
set in 1990. Valdez reached a new record high on April 23rd of
60°F (15.6°C). Bethel set one and tied two new record
high minimums from April 20-22. Conversely, St. Paul tied the
record low temperature on March 26th of -2°F (-19°C) set
in 1976. The ice pack remained around St. Paul Island through March
19, the latest date in memory. In northern Alaska, Barrow set a new
record high temperature of 30°F (-1°C) on April 2nd, far
exceeding the previous record of 25°F (-4°C) from 2007.
Two days later, Eielson Air Force Base recorded a high temperature
of 52°F (11°C) and Bettles recorded a new high
temperature of 43°F (6.1°C). The average temperature in
Fairbanks during April was 2.2°F (1.2°C) below
normal.
- The distribution of precipitation in the Juneau WFO area in
April was mixed, with northern and southern locations reporting 86%
of normal, but central locations reporting up to 162% of normal for
the month. Central locations in the Hoonah and Juneau areas
experienced a significant snow event from April 16-17, bringing
10-12 inches (25-30 cm) of snow, the fourth heaviest April snowfall
at the Juneau airport and the greatest 1-day and 2-day totals there
since at least 1943. Kodiak, AK was rather dry during April and
received only 41% of normal precipitation; 2.26 inches (57 mm)
fell, less than half of the long-term mean of 5.48 inches (139 mm)
normally received during the month. Conversely, Bethel received
11.7 inches (29.7 cm) of snow during the month, bringing the
seasonal total to 102.4 inches (260.1 cm), nearly twice the average
and only the second time in the last thirty years with over 100
inches (254 cm) of accumulated snowfall. In northern Alaska,
Fairbanks recorded its third wettest April in the 95-year record
with 1.27 inches (32.3 mm) of precipitation, more than five times
the April average. 14.7 inches (37 cm) of snow fell in Fairbanks
during the month, making it the 3rd snowiest on record, although
the seasonal total remains well below normal. By April 19, Nome
accumulated 105.4 inches (268 cm) of snowfall, ranking as the
second-snowiest winter on record behind 1994-95.
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