April temperatures ranged from 20 degrees F on April 5th at Wilmore in Comanche County to 96 degrees F at Great Bend on the 7th. The widespread low temperatures on the 4th and 5th of April had a negative impact on winter wheat. The largest area of the coldest temperatures coincided with wheat that was at the most vulnerable stages.
Overall, the temperatures averaged 55.7 degrees F in April, which was 2.4 degrees warmer than normal. It ranks as 34th warmest since 1895 or in the warmest third of the period of record. The warmest departures from average were in the South Central Division, while the coolest conditions prevailed in the Northeastern Division.
Statewide average precipitation was 2.55 inches which was 95 percent of normal. The Southwest Division had the lowest percent of normal at 60 percent or 1.06 inches. This left a deficit of -0.62 inches. Within the division amounts were highly variable. Ashland (Clark County) reported 3.34 inches while the Garden City Experiment Station reported just 0.25 inches. The highest 24-hour total reported for the month at a National Weather Service Coop site was 3.95 inches at Sharon Springs on the 17th. The highest monthly total for the National Weather Service was 7.61 inches at Hudson, Stafford County. The greatest monthly total for the CoCoRaHS network 7.36 inches at Buffalo 0.1 NW, Wilson County.
Snowfall was concentrated at the beginning of the month, with the highest totals reported in the Northwestern Division. The greatest monthly totals were 2.7 inches at Goodland (CoCoRaHS) and 3.6 inches at Colby (NWS).
The severe weather season was more active in April than in March. There were 29 tornadoes reported in April. Damaging wind reports totaled 71, while hail reports numbered 128. One of the most active days of the month occurred on the 24th, when multiple tornadoes, with high winds and hail occurred.
Drought conditions persist across the state, particularly in the west. There was widespread degradation in the western portions of the state, but the drought-free portion of the state expanded in the Northeast and slightly in the Southeast. While an El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) continues, it is weak and the impacts are uncertain. The May temperature outlook calls for greater chances of normal temperatures for most of the state. The precipitation outlook is for wetter-than=normal conditions statewide. If the outlook materializes, drought conditions are likely to improve over parts of the state during May.
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Apr 2015 |
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Kansas Climate Division Summary |
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Precipitation (inches) |
Temperature (oF) |
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April 2015 |
2015 Jan through Apr |
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Monthly Extremes |
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Division |
Total |
Dep. 1 |
% Normal |
Total |
Dep. 1 |
% Normal |
Ave |
Dep. 1 |
Max |
Min |
|
Northwest |
2.06 |
-0.01 |
100 |
2.63 |
-1.74 |
61 |
52.2 |
1.6 |
88 |
26 |
|
West Central |
1.93 |
0.02 |
103 |
2.81 |
-1.60 |
64 |
53.4 |
1.5 |
91 |
22 |
|
Southwest |
1.02 |
-0.62 |
59 |
2.83 |
-1.19 |
70 |
56.0 |
2.2 |
92 |
22 |
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North Central |
2.54 |
0.02 |
97 |
3.87 |
-2.12 |
62 |
54.4 |
1.6 |
91 |
28 |
|
Central |
2.34 |
-0.32 |
87 |
3.83 |
-2.78 |
57 |
56.2 |
2.1 |
92 |
25 |
|
South Central |
3.57 |
0.87 |
134 |
5.21 |
-2.11 |
72 |
58.0 |
2.5 |
92 |
20 |
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Northeast |
2.53 |
-0.72 |
80 |
4.73 |
-2.73 |
63 |
55.6 |
2.1 |
87 |
24 |
|
East Central |
2.85 |
-0.71 |
79 |
5.00 |
-3.48 |
58 |
56.7 |
1.9 |
88 |
25 |
|
Southeast |
3.98 |
0.11 |
103 |
6.02 |
-3.85 |
60 |
58.5 |
1.9 |
90 |
22 |
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STATE |
2.55 |
-0.12 |
93 |
4.13 |
-2.38 |
63 |
55.7 |
1.9 |
92 |
20 |
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1. Departure from 1981-2010 normal value |
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2. State Highest temperature: 96 oF, Great Bend (Barton County) on the 7th. |
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3. State Lowest temperature: 20 oF at Wilmore 16SE (Comanche County) on the 5th. |
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4. Greatest 24hr rainfall: 3.95 inches at Sharon Spring, Wallace County, on the 17th (NWS); 4.64 inches at Caldwell 8.4 N, Sumner County, on the 19th (CoCoRaHS). |
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Source: KSU Weather Data Library |
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Mary Knapp, Weather Data Library
mknapp@ksu.edu
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