The month of April is off to a roller coaster start. We have seen highs in the mid-30s and near 60 degrees, and we are only a few days into the month. But what can we expect for the rest of the month and will it turn into an "average" April?
Typically, we start to feel a nice warm-up during April in Omaha. Our average high for the month is 64 degrees, and the average low only falls to 40 degrees. As far as our precipitation is concerned, it tends to pick up during April. Average measured snowfall for the month at Eppley Airfield is one inch, with rain measuring 2.96 inches.
While our average snowfall in April is an inch at Eppley, it has been a while since we've seen much snow during April. In fact, our last half inch snowfall on a single day in April dates all the way back to April 5th, 2009. But it's not unheard of to be receiving snow this late in the year. The latest measured snowfall in Omaha was on May 9th, 1945. (Hopefully we don't break that record this year, too!)
However, there are signs pointing to some difference between our April averages and what we may see experience. The Climate Prediction Center has a decent chance of Omaha being cooler than average, which has been the case so far this month.
There is a slight chance Omaha could see wetter-than-average conditions for the month, too. We have started off active with several rounds of snow this month, and a series of fronts headed our way into mid-April suggest this trend will continue.
So far, Omaha has already broken one record low. Our old record low for April 4th had been 18 degrees, set back in 1899. We dropped down to 13 degrees that morning to set our new record. Omaha has a shot a breaking another record low. The current record for April 7th is 17 degrees, set in 1932, and our forecast low is 12 degrees. While there are signs of a warm-up within the next seven days, we may see another drop in temperatures afterwards.