April 2018 Climate Summary Now Available

A Month of Extremes

April brought a wide variety of hazards to the High Plains, including record cold, blizzards, wildfires, and dust storms. Below-normal temperatures dominated eastern areas of the region this month, with departures exceeding 8.0 degrees F (4.4 degrees C) below normal across portions of the Dakotas. Numerous daily records for lowest maximum and minimum temperatures were broken during the first two weeks of April, and for many locations, it was the coolest first half of April (April 1-15) on record. Late-season snowstorms impacted much of the region, particularly in mid-April when a blizzard produced record snowfall totals and caused whiteout conditions, severe travel disruptions, and power outages. The cold and wet conditions negatively impacted calving and lambing, especially in South Dakota, and losses are still being determined. Additionally, planting was delayed across the Northern and Central Plains as soils were slow to warm up.

Despite the impressive snowfall totals, April precipitation was below normal in most locations. While heavy snows improved drought conditions across the Northern Plains, drought continued to spread and intensify throughout Colorado and Kansas where precipitation deficits have been accumulating since October. Wildfires burned across these states, as well as others in the Southern Plains where historically extreme fire conditions were present. One notable fire in the High Plains region was the Badger Hole Fire, which burned over 48,000 acres on the border between southeastern Colorado and western Kansas, killing livestock, destroying homes, and causing $250,000 in damage to electrical infrastructure. The combination of high winds, dryness, and freshly tilled soils prompted the National Weather Service in Omaha to issue a Dust Storm Warning for eastern Nebraska, which is highly unusual for the area. Several multi-vehicle crashes occurred on Interstate 80 due to blowing dust and reduced visibility. Cold temperatures and dry conditions caused a late start to the severe weather season across the Central and Southern Plains. No tornadoes were reported in Kansas in April, which was the latest start to the tornado season since 2000.

For more information on temperature, precipitation, and impacts from climate in April in the High Plains region, please see the link to the full PDF of the summary: https://hprcc.unl.edu/climatesummaries.php