Cooler Temperatures Continue

Cooler temperatures continued into the first week of April for much of the Midwest (Figure 1), after a below normal end to March. Temperatures were near normal in southwestern Missouri and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Everywhere else observed temperatures in excess of 2°F below normal. Isolated locations in eastern Iowa, western Illinois, central Minnesota, and southern Ohio were 5 to 6°F below normal. The most significant departures occurred in the maximum temperatures (Figure 2), with areas in central Minnesota more than 8°F below normal. A small portion of southwestern Missouri was the only location across the Midwest to observe above-normal maximum temperatures. Minimum temperature departures were less severe across the Midwest, with locations across the upper Great Lakes 2-4°F above normal (Figure 3). The rest of the Midwest had minimum temperatures near normal to 5°F below normal. There were 12 low minimum and 66 low maximum daily temperature records broken or tied this week (Figure 4).

Above Normal Precipitation in the Upper Midwest

Across the upper Midwest, precipitation exceeded 0.5 inches, with isolated locations receiving just over 2 inches (Figure 5). Heaviest precipitation amounts were observed along the Great Lakes, with some locations receiving 125-500 percent of normal precipitation (Figure 6). Lake County, Minnesota, measured 2.21 inches of precipitation, which was 1.58 inches above normal for the week. Precipitation totals in western Iowa were less than 0.3 inches, which was 10-50 percent of normal precipitation. Stretching from Missouri, southern Illinois, central Indiana, and into northern Ohio, precipitation values were less 0.75 inches (25-75 percent of normal precipitation). Northern Kentucky saw precipitation ranging from 0.75-1.5 inches, with isolated locations receiving up to nearly 2.5 inches. Graves County, Kentucky received 2.41 inches of precipitation (1.3 inches above normal) for the week with a single-day precipitation maximum of 1.92 inches on April 6. Thirty-four stations across the Midwest either tied or broke daily precipitation records this week (Figure 7).

Snow Continues in the Upper Midwest

Every state except Kentucky saw at least 0.1 inches of snow this week (Figure 8). Heavier snowfall totals fell across the upper Midwest with totals ranging from 0.5 inches to over one foot. Snowfall totals ranged from 1 to over 5 inches above normal for the week (Figure 9). Lake County, Minnesota measured 12.6 inches of snow (9.8 inches above normal) with a single-day maximum snowfall of 7.9 inches on April 6. Twenty-nine locations broke or tied daily snowfall records this week (Figure 10).

Continued Improvement in Drought Conditions

Drought conditions have continued to improve across the Midwest (Figure 11). The percent land in Moderate Drought (D1) to Exceptional Drought (D4) decreased by 2.9 percent (10.21 to 7.31 percent) this week. The D1 in northern Illinois, eastern Iowa, and southern Wisconsin shrank considerably this week. Improvements were also seen in Michigan.