The saying goes, "April Showers Bring May Flowers," but what if we didn't get many April showers? We're a week into the month of May and we are off to a warm start here in Omaha. Let's take a look at how we left April and what we can expect on average for the rest of May.
Overall, the month of April was above average in only one category (a least favorite category for some): snowfall. Average snowfall for April is one inch. This year, Eppley Airfield received 1.5 inches of snow. And we were way below average for total precipitation. April averages 2.96 inches of precipitation, but our total this month at Eppley was only 0.27 inches. In the end, it was our 3rd driest April on record in Omaha. Our last blog post touched on the lack of precipitation, so you may want to check that one out, too, if you haven't already.
As far as temperatures, April was cooler than average by about seven degrees. Our average high for the April is 64° with an average low of 40°. This year, the average high was only 57° and the average low was 32°, which made it our 6th coldest April on record here.
On the flip side, now that we have started a new month, we have seen several 80+ degree days. The average high in Omaha during May is 74° and the average low is 51°. On average, May is the wettest month for Omaha with total rainfall reaching 4.76 inches. There hasn't been a lot of rain in the Metro yet this month, but we do have more rain chances heading our way.
Looking ahead, the Climate Prediction Center shows a chance of May being warmer than average. They also have Omaha in an area with the potential to be wetter than average, too. However, that doesn't mean we won't see a few rounds of cooler, drier weather during the month.
