U.S. Climate Monitoring
National Overview

April 2005

• April temperatures were above average for most of the U.S. For information on temperature records during the month, please go to NCDC's Extremes page
• The precipitation signal was near average for the nation with conditions being wetter than average in the West and Northeast and remaining generally drier than average in parts of the South and Great Lakes. For more information on drought during April, please visit the U.S. Drought page.
• Indices used to determine the state of ENSO suggest that the Equatorial Pacific is transitioning from a weak warm phase (El Niņo), to ENSO neutral conditions. Sea Surface Temperatures were slightly above normal across the central and western equatorial Pacific during April, though with somewhat weaker positive anomalies than in previous months. To see the latest NOAA advisory and typical impacts of a La Niņa or El Niņo episode for the U.S., go to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.

• April 2005 ranked as the 32nd warmest April in the 1895 to present record. The preliminary nationally averaged temperature was 53.2°F (11.8°C), which was 1.1°F (0.6°C) above the long-term mean.
• April 2005 had near average precipitation, nationally, ranking 45th driest.
• February-April temperature was above average and ranked as the 19th warmest such period in the 1895 to present record. The preliminary nationally averaged temperature for February-April was 44.9°F (7.2°C) which was 1.8°F (1.0°C) above the long-term mean.
• February-April had near average precipitation, ranking 43rd wettest in the last 111 years.
• The May 2004-April 2005 temperature was above average and ranked as the 13th warmest such period in the 1895 to present record. The preliminary nationally averaged temperature was 53.8 (12.1°C) which was 1.0°F (0.6°C) above the long-term mean.
• Precipitation was much above average for May-April, ranking 4th wettest for the last 12 months based on a record of 110 such periods.

• April 2005 temperatures ranked much above average for 8 states. A further 25 states in the contiguous U.S. had above average temperature while 4 southeastern states were colder than average for the month, including Florida, which was was 10th coldest on record for April.
• Alaska temperatures were mixed across the state, but the state was warmer than average overall with a statewide temperature of 1.4°F (0.8°C) above the 1971-2000 mean, ranking 25th warmest since 1918.
• April was wetter than average for much of the West and Northeast, while the South-central US and western Great Lakes were mostly drier than average. Six states had much above average precipitation statewide, including Maine, which had its wettest April on record, and 3 states had much less precipitation than the long-term mean.
  
• The 3 month period, February-April, was warmer than average for much of the nation with the South and Southeast remaining near average. No state in the contiguous U.S. averaged in the below normal categories.
• February-April 2005 was much wetter than average for 5 states. Two states were much drier than average.
• May-April 2005 was warmer than average for much of the nation. No state was significantly cooler than average over the last 12 months.
• The last 12 months were much wetter than average for much of the nation, with Pennsylvania having its wettest May-April on record.

  See NCDC's Monthly Extremes web-page for weather and climate records for the month of April.