NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY
APTIL 2019
1-6: Farther west, periods of cool weather and light precipitation limited Midwestern fieldwork opportunities, especially in the still-soggy western Corn Belt. In contrast, weekly temperatures averaged more than 5°F above normal in many locations from
the Pacific Northwest to the northern half of the Plains. However, cool weather across the South and East held temperatures at least 5°F below normal in parts of the western and central Gulf Coast States. On April 2, light freezes occurred as far
south as central Louisiana. Elsewhere, warmer weather on the Plains promoted winter wheat development, while widespread precipitation fell across the northern half of the western U.S. In particular, late-season precipitation eased the effects of a dry
March from the Pacific Northwest to the northernmost Rockies.
During the first half of the week, cool conditions dominated the South. The first day of April featured daily-record lows in locations such as Tupelo, MS (30°F), and Lufkin, TX (32°F). The following day, record-setting lows for April 2 included 30°F
in El Dorado, AR; 31°F in Shreveport, LA; and 32°F in Austin, TX. Meanwhile, mild air overspread the Pacific Northwest, where Bellingham, WA, posted a daily-record high of 71°F on April 2. In contrast, April 2 high temperatures in North Carolina
peaked at just 40°F in Raleigh-Durham and 43°F in Fayetteville. By week’s end, warmth arrived in the upper Midwest, where La Crosse, WI (71°F on April 6), experienced its warmest day since October 10, 2018. Late-week warmth also developed in the
Southeast, where daily-record highs in Florida for April 6 reached 90°F in Gainesville and Naples.

7-13: Weekly temperatures averaged as much as 5°F below normal across the northern Plains and upper Midwest, but were at least 10°F above normal across large sections of the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic States, as well as the Ohio Valley. On April 11-
12, post-storm temperatures dipped to 32°F or below on the High Plains as far south as Texas’ northern panhandle. By April 13-14, torrential rainfall (locally 2 to 4 inches or more) fell from the southeastern Plains into the Tennessee Valley. Some
of the heaviest rain drenched the lower Mississippi Valley and environs, sparking flash flooding. Severe thunderstorms, featuring more than two dozen tornadoes, swept across areas from eastern Texas to Alabama. Elsewhere, seasonably dry weather
prevailed from southern California into the Southwest, accompanied by the aforementioned midweek wind event. In advance of the Midwestern storm, Southern temperatures soared. Roswell, NM, notched a daily-record high of 97°F on the 9th. On April 9-10,
Midland, TX, notched consecutive daily-record highs (96 and 97°F, respectively). Other record-setting highs in Texas for April 10 included 107°F in Del Rio, 99°F in San Angelo, and 93°F in Corpus Christi. Del Rio’s high also achieved a monthly
record, previously set with a high of 106°F on April 11, 1907, and April 20, 1984. On April 10, wind gusts were clocked to 75 mph in Clines Corners and Fort Stanton, NM, and 63 mph in Amarillo and Dalhart, TX, while visibilities in blowing dust dropped
to one-half mile in Lubbock, TX, and one-quarter mile in Deming, NM. Early-season heat later spread into the Southeast, where daily-record highs reached 92°F (on April 12) in Gainesville, FL, and 88°F (on April 11) in Tuscaloosa, AL. However, in the
storm’s wake, Dalhart, TX, noted four consecutive freezes (29, 27, 30, and 24°F) from April 11-14.

14-20: Drier weather prevailed across the nation’s mid-section. Still, near to above-normal temperatures covered much of the country, with weekly temperatures averaging as much as 10°F above normal from the mid-Atlantic coast into southern New England.
In contrast, temperatures averaged up to 5°F below normal in the lower Mississippi Valley. Elsewhere, mild but showery weather dominated the West, with the heaviest precipitation falling during the first half of the week.
The week began with cold air in place across the Plains, leading to daily-record lows in Sisseton, SD (14°F), and Dalhart, TX (24°F). Thereafter, cold air largely disappeared, although late week maximum temperatures failed to top the 50-degree mark
in locations such as Jackson, TN (high of 50°F on April 19), and London, KY (47°F on April 20). Meanwhile, warm weather prevailed in advance of a pair of storm systems. On April 14, for example, Gainesville, FL, notched a daily-record high of 91°F.
Four days later, record-setting highs for April 18 reached 90°F in Naples, FL, and Charleston, WV. At week’s end, a brief surge of warmth across the Plains resulted in daily-record highs in Roswell, NM (94°F), and Valentine, NE (93°F).

21-27: Several days of warm, mostly dry weather covered the northern and central Plains and the Southeast. However, a late-week surge of cold air accompanied and trailed by rain and snow. An early-season heat wave in California, the Great Basin, and the
Desert Southwest boosted weekly temperatures more than 10°F above normal in a few locations. Meanwhile, early-week temperatures climbed to 80°F or higher as far north as southern Minnesota and central Wisconsin. The Midwestern warmth generally peaked
on April 21, but snow blanketed portions of the northern Corn Belt just 6 days later. The week’s most impressive warmth developed across the Far West, where dozens of daily record highs were set starting on April 23. In California’s Central Valley,
consecutive daily-record highs were set on April 23-24 in Sacramento (90°F both days). Similarly, a pair of daily records were broken on April 24-25 in California locations such as Modesto (93°F both days) and Stockton (93 and 94°F). Death Valley, CA,
posted consecutive daily-record highs (109 and 110°F, respectively) on April 25-26. Other triple-digit, daily-record highs in California included 103°F (on April 24) in Palm Springs and 103°F (on April 25) in Needles. In Nevada, Las Vegas (96°F),
Reno (85°F), and Tonopah (82°F) collected daily-record highs for April 25. In contrast, chilly air settled across the North late in the week. In Iowa, Dubuque notched consecutive daily-record lows (27 and 23°F, respectively) on April 27-28.

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