State of the Climate
National Overview
April 2004

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Climatic Data Center

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National Overview Report

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Maps and Graphics:

April	Most Recent 3 Months	Most Recent 6 Months
Annual summary for 2003	Most Recent 12 Months	US Percent Area Very Wet/Dry/Warm/Cold

It should be emphasized that all of the temperature and precipitation ranks and values are based on preliminary data. The ranks will change when the final data are processed, but will not be replaced on these pages. Graphics based on final data are available on this page: /oa/climate/research/2003/CMB_prod_us_2003.html

For graphics covering periods other than those mentioned above or for tables of national, regional, and statewide data from 1895-present, for April, last 3 months or other periods, please go to the Climate At A Glance page visual page separator

National Overview:

April:
Temperatures were above average for the nation as a whole with most western states experiencing record or near record heat during the last few days of April. More information on the record heat can be found on NCDC's Extremes page.
The precipitation signal was mixed with much of the Southwest and parts of the Northeast having a wetter than average April, while the rest of the country was drier than average or near average. Severe storms caused damage and flooding in parts of the Deep South and Southwest. For more information on severe weather and hazards, please visit the Hazards page.
Some late season snow fell across portions of the Rockies in April. Areas in Colorado and Wyoming received several inches to more than a foot of snow. Details of the 2003/2004 snow season can be found on NCDC's monthly snow summary page.
Indices used to determine the state of ENSO suggest that the Equatorial Pacific was in a neutral ENSO phase and Sea Surface Temperatures were near normal across the equatorial Pacific during April. To see the latest NOAA advisory and typical impacts of a La Nina or El Nino episode for the U.S., go to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.

For additional details, see the Monthly Highlights section. For details and graphics on weather events across the U.S. and the globe go to NCDC's Global Hazards page (available on May 13th).

Monthly and Seasonal Highlights:

National:
April 2004 ranked as the 24th warmest April in the 1895 to present record. The preliminary nationally averaged temperature was 53.6°F (12.0°C), which was 1.5°F (0.8°C) above the long-term mean.
April 2004 was near average for precipitation nationally, ranking 45th wettest.

For tables of national, regional, and statewide data from 1895-present, for April, last 3 months or other periods, please go to the Climate At A Glance page
February-April temperature was also above average and ranked as the 17th warmest such period in the 1895 to present record. The preliminary nationally averaged temperature for February-April was 45.2°F (7.3°C) which was 2.2°F (1.2°C) above the long-term mean.
February-April was near average for precipitation, ranking 45th wettest in the last 110 years.
The May 2003-April 2004 temperature was much above average and ranked as the 9th warmest such period in the 1895 to present record. The preliminary nationally averaged temperature was 54.1°F (12.3°C) which was 1.3°F (0.7°C) above the long-term mean.
Precipitation was near average for May-April, ranking 37th driest for the last 12 months based on a record of 109 such periods.

Regional and Statewide:
April 2004 temperatures ranked much above average for 4 states and only Florida ranked below average in the continental U.S. states.
Alaska temperatures were above average for April with an anomaly of 4.1°F (2.3°C)
April was much drier than average for Indiana, and much wetter than average for 6 states.
The 3 month period, February-April, was warmer than average for all northern states while the Gulf coast and Southeast remained near average.
February-April 2004 was dry for much of the East Coast and Northwest, while wetter than average conditions prevailed across much of the Great Plains.
The last 12 months were much warmer than average for 11 western states. No state averaged significantly cooler than the long-term mean.
The last 12 months were record wet for three Mid Atlantic states. Dry conditions prevailed across parts of the West and Northwest.
See NCDC's Monthly Extremes web-page for weather and climate records for the month of April.

An in-depth annual review of U.S. climate in 2003 is available at: ./?report=national&year=2003&month=ann

It should be emphasized that all of the temperature and precipitation ranks and values are based on preliminary data. The ranks will change when the final data are processed, but will not be replaced on these pages. Graphics based on final data are available on this page: /oa/climate/research/2003/CMB_prod_us_2003.html

Questions?

For questions on technical or scientific content of this report, please contact:

Chris Fenimore:
Chris.Fenimore@noaa.gov

For general climate monitoring questions, please contact:

CMB.Contact@noaa.gov

For climate data orders, please contact the National Climatic Data Center's Climate Services and Monitoring Division:

NCDC.Orders@noaa.gov

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