April 2015 Climate Summary

It was a warm and dry March for the High Plains region. You can read part of what conditions were like below, or you can read the complete version here. 

Overview - A Break in the Pattern

April 2015 was mild with a wide range in precipitation across the High Plains Region. Generally, average temperatures ranged from near normal up to 4.0 degrees F (2.2 degrees C) above normal. Only isolated areas were outside of this temperature range. Precipitation varied widely, however, with areas like southeastern Wyoming receiving over 200 percent of normal precipitation, while areas such as central South Dakota failed to reach 25 percent of normal. This translated into precipitation surpluses in excess of 1.50 inches (38 mm) across southeastern Wyoming, northeastern Colorado, and a portion of the Nebraska panhandle. On the other end of the spectrum, deficits of at least 1.50 inches (38 mm) were common across central and eastern South Dakota.

The dry weather had both positive and negative impacts this month. Early in the season, dry weather can have a positive impact on agriculture. For instance, dry areas in the Dakotas have been good for farming activities as drier soils have allowed for field work to commence with some early planting of small grains, like oats and spring wheat. The dry weather also had some negative impacts, such as an increased risk of wildfires. Wildfires are not uncommon in the spring and this month was no exception, especially across the Dakotas. Multiple reasons for the increased risk include an abundance of fuel built up from the past few years, low snowpack this winter, and overall low precipitation totals. North Dakota had many wildfire issues this month. For example, in mid-April, a grass fire came very close to the campus of University of Mary, just outside of Bismarck, North Dakota. The university closed for one evening and some students were evacuated to a neighboring college. Additionally, I-29 from Grand Forks to the Canadian border was closed due to smoke from grass fires. According to the May 1st release of the National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook from the National Interagency Fire Center, the potential for significant wildfires across the Dakotas should return to normal during May.

Much more information is available in the PDF version of the summary including temperature and precipitation highlights, snowpack and drought updates, and a look at the upcoming season. Click here to read more!