April 1-7, 2025

Temperatures

Temperatures were above normal to the southeast, and below normal to the north and west (Figure 1). In southeastern Kentucky, temperatures averaged as much as 10°F above normal for the week. Meanwhile, in western Minnesota temperatures were up to 6°F below normal for the week. Minimum temperatures were anomalously warm to the south and east (Figure 2). In eastern Kentucky, minimum temperatures averaged as much as 10-12°F below normal for the week. In Buckhorn Lake, Kentucky, a station with records dating back to 1961 observed minimum temperatures greater than or equal to 58°F for 3 consecutive days, April 4-6, for the first time in April since 2002 and the only the 4th time since records began.

Maximum temperatures were most anomalous west of the Mississippi River, where they were near 10°F below normal (Figure 3). There were some above normal maximum temperatures observed over southeastern Kentucky, albeit less anomalous than minimum temperatures in the region. In Indianapolis, Indiana, a temperature of 81°F was observed on April 2, which was 22°F above normal and the warmest temperature in Indianapolis during the first week of April since 2012. Meanwhile, a station in Lamar, Missouri with records dating back to 1890 observed three consecutive days of maximum temperatures below 50°F, the coldest stretch of weather in Lamar in April since 2008.

Kentucky Flooding/Upper Midwest Snow/Drought

Precipitation was particularly anomalous this week for the Ohio River Basin, with over 500 percent of normal precipitation in the region (Figure 4). A frontal boundary lingered near Kentucky for much of the week, which repeatedly funneled moisture from the south into the area. Training storms caused flash flooding as 6-12 inches of rain fell over the course of four days, April 2-5. In Marshall County, Kentucky, a Kentucky Mesonet station received 15.59 inches of rain over a 4-day period, which broke the all-time highest 4-day rainfall record for the National Weather Service’s Paducah forecast area. Several rivers rose to major flood stage, including the Ohio River at Shawneetown, Illinois which crested at 53.3 feet, a top 10 historic crest for that river gauge.

In the Upper Midwest, winter precipitation occurred to start the month. In Minnesota, 6-10 inches of snow was observed (Figure 5). In Milan, Minnesota, a station recorded two consecutive days of snowfall totaling at least 4 inches, which was the third such occurrence during the month of April since records began in 1893. Further east, parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP) were still recovering from a late March ice storm when some light lake effect snow returned. The Mackinac Bridge was still experiencing intermittent closures due to falling ice through April 3, which included a record 30-hour closure that started just after 2:30 am April 2 and lasted until 8:35 am on April 3.

April 2 Severe Weather Outbreak

There were 684 storm reports this week, with the vast majority being wind reports (Figure 6). Even so, there were 82 tornado reports. Most of these occurred with the passage of a low-pressure system on April 2, affecting 6 states. The NWS office in Indianapolis confirmed 25 tornadoes across their forecast area alone, which ranged from EF0 to EF3. The NWS office in Paducah, Kentucky, confirmed 23 tornadoes, which broke the record for the most during a single event for that forecast area. The NWS office in Louisville, Kentucky confirmed 8 tornadoes, including one EF3 with winds up to 145 mph that caused significant structural damage to several suburbs of Louisville.