April had 195 reported tornadoes

U.S. April Weather Was Hot and Dry

April Saw Above-Normal Temperatures and Below-Normal Precipitation: NOAA

According to NOAA’s State of the Climate report, the April 2010 average temperature for the contiguous United States was 54.3 degrees F, some 2.3 degrees F above the long-term (1901-2000) average  making it the 14th warmest April on record. The average precipitation was 2.18 inches, or 0.25 inch below the long-term average.

NOAA monthly analysis is prepared by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, NC.

U.S. Temperature Highlights

Source: NOAA. Click image to enlarge.

• Above-normal temperatures caused by warm and dry weather from high-pressure areas experienced by most states east of the Rocky Mountains. Only California, Nevada and Oregon experienced cooler-than-average temperatures last month.
• Northeast and the East North Central Region: Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan experienced their second warmest April ever.
• Central climate region: West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri had their  fourth warmest April for that region. [link to regional map]

• Northeast: Illinois Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Jersey had their warmest April on record. I
• A total of 31 states experienced above-normal temperatures.
• February to April period: The record warmest in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
• January to April period: Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire had their warmest year-to-date on record. “Conversely, Florida had its coolest, while South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas’ average temperature ranked among their 10 coolest.”
• “The cooler-than-normal temperatures that prevailed during the latter part of the winter season in the south and southeast were still evident in the three-month (February-April) period. Florida had its coolest such period, while Louisiana and Alabama had their sixth coolest, Georgia its seventh coolest and both Mississippi and Texas their eighth coolest February-April.”

U.S. Precipitation Highlights

Source: NOAA. Click image to enlarge.

• Below average precipitation in most areas east of the Mississippi River.  West Coast was wet, and the Northwest higher than normal precipitation.
• “Many Mid-Atlantic states observed much-below-normal precipitation. Both Louisiana and South Carolina experienced their sixth driest April. It was also abnormally dry in Connecticut (eight), North Carolina (ninth), Virginia (ninth) and Maryland (tenth). Conversely, it was Oregon’s tenth-wettest April on record.”
• Michigan saw its second driest January to April period on record. “The year-to-date period was also the seventh driest for Wisconsin and Kentucky and the eighth driest for Louisiana.”

Other Highlights

• North American snow cover extent was the lowest on record for April since 1966. “It was also the largest negative anomaly, meaning distance below long term average, on record for any month.”
• “NCDC’s Climate Extremes Index (CEI) for January-April was about 6 percent higher than the historical average for that time period. The CEI measures the occurrence of several types of climate extremes (like record or near-record warmth, dry spells, or rainy periods). Factors contributing to this year’s value: a very large footprint (three times larger than average) of extreme wetness and twice the average area with warm minimum temperatures.”
• NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center reported 195 tornadoes in April. Subject to confirmation, “it would be the eighth highest number of April tornadoes.”
• “The most significant tornado of the month, which was rated EF-4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, devastated areas near Yazoo City, Miss. According to a preliminary analysis by the National Weather Service, the tornado’s path was 149 miles long and stretched from extreme northeastern Louisiana to northeastern Mississippi. The damage path was up to 1¾ miles wide at points.” [More than a dozen people were killed by the tornado.]
• The U.S. Drought Monitor said 9 percent of the United States was affected by drought on April 27.

Related Links:

• Canceling Your Life Insurance Policy with Nature
• U.S. Weather

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