NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY

APRIL 2025

Mar. 30-Apr. 5: Historically heavy rain, totaling as much as 8 to 16 inches from the northeastern corner of Texas into Kentucky, triggered widespread flooding, which persisted beyond the end of the week. The heavy-rainfall event spanned at least 5 days, starting April 1, and included several disturbances propagating along a nearly stationary frontal boundary. The stormy spell also included a severe weather outbreak.

Elsewhere, accompanied lingering precipitation, cool weather Northwestern further padding mostly favorable high-elevation snowpack. In fact, colder-than-normal conditions dominated the Plains, West, and upper Midwest, with temperatures in scattered locations averaging as much as 10°F below normal. In contrast, weekly temperatures averaged 10 to 20°F above normal in most areas along and east of a line from southern Texas to Lake Erie, excluding the Northeast and southern Florida. March closed on a warm note in the East and Deep South, with record-setting highs for the 31st being set in locations such as Baltimore, MD (86°F), and Palacios, TX (88°F). Soon, warmth greatly expanded and intensified across the South, East, and lower Midwest. By April 2, daily-record highs surged to 106°F in Laredo, TX; 92°F in Gainesville, FL; 90°F in Greenwood, MS; and 84°F in Evansville, IN. Laredo logged 106°F again on April 3, setting another daily record. Gainesville collected additional daily-record highs on April 3 and 5, reaching 91°F both days. Greenwood eventually tallied a trio of daily-record highs, rising to 90 and 91°F, respectively, on April 3 and 4. Elsewhere on the 3rd, daily-record highs soared above the 90-degree mark in Punta Gorda, FL (94°F); Austin, TX (91°F); and Vicksburg, MS (91°F). Vicksburg hit 91°F a second time on April 4. By the 5th, however, lingering warmth was limited to the Southeast, where Norfolk, VA, posted a daily-record high of 89°F. Perhaps more remarkably, several records were set for highest minimum temperature ever observed in April; new standards included 73°F (on April 4) in Raleigh-Durham, NC, and 79°F (on April 4) in New Orleans, LA. Meanwhile, sharply colder air began to overspread the nation’s mid-section and parts of the West. By April 5, daily record lows were noted in locations such as Alliance, NE (13°F); Worland, WY (15°F); and Pocatello, ID (18°F). On that date, freezes were observed on the Plains as far south as the northern panhandle of Texas, while readings below 20°F extended into much of western Nebraska and northeastern Colorado.

6-12: Once rain ended in the East, most of the country experienced dry weather, although chilly conditions across the South, East, and lower Midwest contrasted with building warmth from the Pacific Coast to the Plains. In fact, weekly temperatures averaged as much 10°F below normal in the Ohio Valley and the lower Great Lakes region, while readings averaged at least 10°F above normal in numerous locations from southern California to the northern High Plains. Variable precipitation was observed in the Northwest, although the most significant rain and snow occurred early in the week.

Early-April downpours sharpened the contrast between flooded fields in the mid-South and worsening drought across parts of the Plains and Southwest. Drought-related impacts, aggravated by early-season heat, included stress on rangeland, pastures. On the High Plains, late-week readings above 90°F were observed as far north as southeastern Colorado and western Kansas, just 6 days after temperatures had locally fallen below 20°F. The temperature in Pueblo, CO, rose from 19°F on April 6 to a daily record high of 93°F on April 12. Similarly, the temperature in Garden City, KS, surged from 18 to 93°F between April 6 and 12. The cool spell eventually resulted in several daily-record lows in the East, as temperatures dipped to 14°F (on April 9) in Watertown, NY, and 16°F (on April 10) in Montpelier, VT. Meanwhile, early week warmth in the East was largely limited to Florida, where record-setting highs for April 6 soared to 90°F in Jacksonville and Daytona Beach. The following day, Vero Beach (91°F) posted a record-setting high for April 7. During the mid- to late-week period, a new surge of cool air settled across the Midwest and Northeast, while warmth expanded from the Pacific Coast to the Plains. Record-setting warmth first arrived along the West Coast on April 9, when highs in California reached 79°F in Santa Rosa and 77°F in Napa. In Nevada, Ely tallied a trio of daily-record highs (74, 76, and 77°F) from April 9-11. Triple-digit heat appeared in the Desert Southwest on April 10, when highs soared to 101°F in Yuma, AZ, and Palm Springs, CA. Both Yuma (102°F) and Palm Springs (103°F) achieved higher readings—and daily records—on April 11. Similarly, Phoenix, AZ, logged its first two triple-digit, daily-record highs of the year on April 10-11, with respective readings of 100 and 103°F. Elsewhere in Arizona, Tucson (101°F on April 11) notched its earliest-ever triple-digit reading. Tucson’s previous record had been 101°F on April 19, 1989. At week’s end, heat shifted to the High Plains, where record-setting highs for April 12 surged to 96°F in Lubbock, TX, and 95°F in Roswell, NM.

13-19: Rain and snow showers dotted the Rockies; late-week precipitation extended into the parched Southwest. The Southwestern precipitation, while beneficial, provided only limited drought relief. In many other areas of the country, including the Pacific Coast States, Great Basin, and Southeast, dry weather favored fieldwork and crop development. However, drier areas of the south-central U.S. continued to deal with periods of high winds and blowing dust, with El Paso, TX, reporting visibilities as low as one-quarter mile on April 18. The next day, Carlsbad, NM, also noted a wind- and dust storm-driven visibility of one-quarter mile. Weekly temperatures averaged at least 10°F above normal in a broad area stretching from the south central U.S. into the middle Mississippi Valley. Unusual warmth also prevailed in northern California and the Pacific Northwest. In contrast, readings averaged as much as 5°F below normal parts of Wyoming. Slightly below-normal temperatures were observed in a few areas, including the northern High Plains, the southern Atlantic region, and parts of southern California. On the Plains, freezes briefly extended as far south as eastern Colorado and much of western and central Kansas. Temperatures below 32°F were also observed from the northern Corn Belt into the Northeast, areas where mid-April freezes are common. As the week began, hot weather gripped the nation’s southwestern quadrant. Record-breaking highs for April 13 included 98°F in Midland, TX, and 96°F in Roswell, NM; Lawton, OK; and Childress and Lubbock, TX. Soon, heat temporarily retreated, although Del Rio, TX, posted a daily-record high of 101°F on April 14. Subsequently, warmth developed across the West, where daily record highs for April 15 reached 80°F in Mount Shasta City, CA, and 77°F in Wenatchee, WA. By April 16, heat returned across the south-central U.S., where Roswell, NM (95°F) notched another daily-record high. Heat surged northward across the Plains on April 17, resulting in daily-record highs in locations such as Medicine Lodge, KS (102°F), and Lubbock, TX (95°F). Late in the week, warmth shifted eastward, while markedly cooler air settled across northern sections of the Plains and Rockies. On April 18, Tampa, FL, tallied a daily-record high of 91°F, while Livingston, MT, logged a daily-record low of 10°F. In the Northeast on April 19, daily-record highs included 86°F at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and 79°F in Portland, ME.

Early in the week, some rivers remained quite high across the mid South and lower Midwest.

20-26: Showery weather from the Plains to the Appalachians led benefited rangeland, pastures, and crops. Across drought-affected areas of the Plains, rain was especially timely for planted summer crops.

Dry weather prevailed in several areas, including much of Florida and the Southwest. Florida’s dry regime led to increasing irrigation demands for citrus and other crops, while windy, dry Southwestern weather resulted in an elevated wildfire threat and periods of blowing dust. Other parts of the country received spotty showers. For example, late-week precipitation in California included high-elevation snow, while chilly rain fell across the northern Plains.

On April 20, heavy showers and locally severe thunderstorms led to daily-record rainfall topping the 2-inch mark in Joplin and Springfield, MO—2.62 and 2.46 inches, respectively— along with Cedar Rapids, IA (2.34 inches). Soon, the focus for heavy rain shifted to the western and central Gulf Coast States, where record-setting amounts for April 21 reached 4.38 inches in New Orleans, LA, and 3.26 inches at Hobby Airport in Houston, TX. Two days later, Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX, measured 3.21 inches, a record for April 23. Elsewhere on the 23rd, showers became more numerous across the nation’s mid section, where Waterloo, IA, netted a daily-record rainfall of 2.48 inches. Omaha, NE, received 2.54 inches, a record for the date, on April 24. During the second half of the week, pockets of excessive rainfall were noted from the southern Plains to the central Gulf Coast. Notably, on the 24th, Lafayette, LA, endured its second-wettest April day on record, with 6.34 inches. Lafayette’s wettest April day remains April 21, 1979, when 7.84 inches fell. Similarly, end-of-week downpours on the southern Plains led to the wettest April day on record in Lawton, OK, where 5.50 inches fell on April 26. Previously, Lawton’s wettest April day had been April 17, 1992, with 4.63 inches. Significant precipitation fell in other areas on the 26th, including parts of New England and an area extending northeastward from California. In Maine, daily-record rainfall totals for April 26 included 1.46 inches in Portland and 1.37 inches in Bangor. On the same date in California, record setting rainfall amounts reached 1.01 inches in Stockton and 0.83 inch in Alturas.

27-May 3: Dry weather prevailed in the Far West, while rain and snow showers dotted the Rockies and Four Corners States. Southwestern showers curbed the threat of wildfires and provided a boost in topsoil moisture—but had little overall effect on long-term drought. Near- or slightly below-normal temperatures affected southern California and the Southwest, while general warmth developed or expanded across the Plains and Northwest. For the third week in a row, near- or above-normal temperatures dominated the South, East and lower Midwest, with weekly temperatures broadly averaging at least 5°F above normal from southern Texas into the Northeast. Late-month warmth was initially focused across the South, where Vicksburg, MS, posted a pair of daily-record highs (89 and 90°F, respectively) on April 26 and 27. Elsewhere on the 27th, daily record highs included 89°F in Mobile, AL, and 88°F in Monticello, AR. By the 28th, warmth continued across the South and spread into the Midwest. Record-setting highs for April 28 included 90°F in Greenwood, MS, and Tuscaloosa, AL, along with 88°F in Quincy, IL. April 29 featured several daily records in the Great Lakes and Northeastern States, with highs climbing to 87°F in Syracuse, NY, and 86°F in Detroit, MI. On the last day of April, record-setting warmth was limited to portions of the Atlantic Coast States, where highs included 90°F in Raleigh-Durham, NC, and 85°F on Wallops Island, VA. Late in the week, record-setting warmth briefly overspread the interior Northwest, where Walla Walla, WA, logged a high of 86°F on May 2. 

 

Jim G. Munley, jr.
http://www.jimmunleywx.com