The main purpose of this ongoing blog will be to track planetary extreme, or record temperatures related to climate change. Any reports I see of ETs will be listed below the main topic of the day. I’ll refer to extreme or record temperatures as ETs (not extraterrestrials).😉
Main Topic: U.S. April 2025 Record Scoreboard and Climatological Review
Dear Diary. It’s time for our monthly climatological review. Here on this site, we usually present monthly summaries near the 10th of each month, and each is available by clicking the link below:
https://guyonclimate.com/category/record-scoreboard-climatological-reviews
I’m repeating this mantra every month:
April 2025 got ranked by the National Center for Environmental Information for the lower 48 states as 13th warmest or 119th coolest since records began being kept in 1895 at +2.6°F above the 1901-2000 average.
The above data was from:
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/national/rankings
During April the warmest conditions were in the southeastern third of the nation. No one state saw below average temperatures. Most reports of record chill came from the West from days 1-10 and eastern third from days 11-20. Most reports of record warmth occurred early and late in the month and came from the Southwest and south-central states.
You can check out record totals for yourself on my NCEI record archives:
NCEI Record Count Archive – Guy On Climate
Here are my two U.S. Daily Record Scoreboards updated through 2/10/2025 (data compiled from the following NCEI site):
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cdo-web/datatools/records
I’m also keeping tabs on record report totals to verify a scientific study I helped to complete in the decade of the 2000s. We’ll eventually see how skewed ratios of record warm to cold reports get by the year 2100, which the study mentions as 50-1 for DHMX vs. DLMN:
DHMX= Daily High Max Reports. DLMN= Daily Low Min Reports. DHMN= Daily High Min Reports. DLMX=Daily Low Max Reports.
Boldly highlighted red, blue, or purple colored months, such as December 2023 and June 2021, that have ratios of >10 to 1 daily or <1 to 10 of daily warm to low records are either historically hot or cold, most of which have made news. NCEI rankings are for the lower 48 states with the warmest ranking since 1895 of average temperatures being 131 and 1 being the coldest as of 2025. Blue colors represent cold months and red warm. Those months and years with counts close to a 1 to 1 ratio of highs to lows are colored black. All-time record hottest or coldest months and years are boldly colored in purple. NCDC rankings have been color coded (under tabs in each file) such that values of 55 to 75 are black representing neutral months or years (+ or – 10 from the average ranking of 64).
Totals are record reports for the entire United States including all territories minus those from Alaska. I’ve subtracted those from Alaska to get a better representation of what has occurred across the lower 48 states in association with lower 48 state rankings.
April 2025 had approximately a 50 to 9 ratio of record DHMX to DLMN individual record counts, so the color I used for that month was dark red on the top chart.
April 2025 had approximately a 33 to 9 ratio of record DHMN to DLMX individual record counts, so the color I used for that month was red on the bottom chart.
Due to climate change, we are seeing fewer blue colors on these Record Scoreboards with time.
The average temperature lower 48 state ranking for April 2025 was 119, which was colored red since it was warmer than average. We are seeing fewer blue colors on my charts, and April 2025 was yet another red or warm month.
I color rankings of +10 to -10 from the average ranking for the lower 48 states of 65 black, indicating that these are near average temperature wise. The top warmest ranking for 2024 would be 130 since rankings began in 1895.
Looking at the type and number of record reports, May 2025 has gotten off to a warm start, but meteorological models are sketchy about the overall weather pattern for the rest of the month. May’s averages might be slightly cooler than the first two months of spring for the lower 48 states.
Interestingly, overall ratios for 2024 were higher than historic yearly ratios for other years from the 2020s as shown here…which is no surprise given how hot the globe was during this record hot year thanks to climate change:
Here is much more detailed climatology for the April 2025 as complied by NOAA:
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-202504
Assessing the U.S. Climate in April 2025
April brought widespread rainfall and severe storms to the central U.S., and much of the West, South and East remained dry and unseasonably warm
Courtesy of Canva.com
Key Points:
- A slow-moving storm system in early April brought widespread flooding and over 150 tornadoes to the South and Midwest, resulting in numerous injuries and at least 24 fatalities.
- April temperatures were particularly warm across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, with near-record warmth observed in the Carolinas and neighboring states.
- Alaska had its second-wettest April on record and its fourth-warmest year to date.
- Heavy rain in Puerto Rico in late April triggered flash flooding and landslides.
Other Highlights:
Temperature
The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. (CONUS) in April was 53.6°F, which is 2.6°F above the long-term average and ranks in the warmest third of the 131-year record. April temperatures were above average across much of the Lower 48, with much-above-average warmth observed across the South and Atlantic coastal regions. North Carolina and Virginia observed their second-warmest average April temperatures on record, with South Carolina and Georgia recording their third- and fourth-warmest (tied), respectively. For the year to date, the CONUS average temperature was 41.1°F, 2.0°F above average, ranking in the warmest third of the record for this January–April period.
The Alaska statewide April temperature was 27.5°F, 4.2°F above the long-term average, ranking in the warmest third of the 101-year period of record. While temperatures were near average across much of western Alaska in April, above-average warmth dominated the eastern part of the state. Alaska’s January–April average temperature was 17.8°F, 7.5°F above the long-term average, ranking as the fourth warmest on record, with much of the state experiencing much-above-average temperatures during this period.
Hawai’i had an average temperature of 65.9°F in April, 1.1°F above the 1991–2020 average and ranking in the warmest third of the 35-year record. Hawai’i had its second-warmest (tied) January–April average temperature of 64.8°F, 1.1°F above the 1991–2020 average for this period.
Precipitation
The Alaska statewide April temperature was 27.5°F, 4.2°F above the long-term average, ranking in the warmest third of the 101-year period of record. While temperatures were near average across much of western Alaska in April, above-average warmth dominated the eastern part of the state. Alaska’s January–April average temperature was 17.8°F, 7.5°F above the long-term average, ranking as the fourth warmest on record, with much of the state experiencing much-above-average temperatures during this period.
Hawaii had an average temperature of 65.9°F in April, 1.1°F above the 1991–2020 average and ranking in the warmest third of the 35-year record. Hawai’i had its second-warmest (tied) January–April average temperature of 64.8°F, 1.1°F above the 1991–2020 average for this period.
Precipitation
April precipitation for the CONUS was 2.82 inches, 0.30 inch above average, ranking in the upper third of the historical record. Drier-than-average conditions were observed from the West to the central Rockies, and along parts of the Gulf and Atlantic coastal regions. Conversely, above-average precipitation fell across a broad area stretching from the southern Plains through the middle Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley and lower Great Lakes, as well as in portions of the northern Plains, upper Mississippi Valley and far Northeast. Kentucky recorded its second-highest average rainfall for the month of April, while Oklahoma and Missouri saw their third- and fourth-wettest Aprils, respectively. The January–April precipitation total for the CONUS was 8.77 inches, 0.70 inch below average, ranking in the driest third of the record for this period.
April precipitation for the CONUS was 2.82 inches, 0.30 inch above average, ranking in the upper third of the historical record. Drier-than-average conditions were observed from the West to the central Rockies, and along parts of the Gulf and Atlantic coastal regions. Conversely, above-average precipitation fell across a broad area stretching from the southern Plains through the middle Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley and lower Great Lakes, as well as in portions of the northern Plains, upper Mississippi Valley and far Northeast. Kentucky recorded its second-highest average rainfall for the month of April, while Oklahoma and Missouri saw their third- and fourth-wettest Aprils, respectively. The January–April precipitation total for the CONUS was 8.77 inches, 0.70 inch below average, ranking in the driest third of the record for this period.
Alaska’s average precipitation in April ranked as the second wettest in the 101-year record, with particularly wet conditions along the Gulf of Alaska coast and the northern Southeast region. Near-record-high snowfall was observed at the Alyeska (36.6 inches) and Denali National Park (26.5 inches) stations—these totals were the second-highest on record for April. The January–April precipitation total for Alaska was 10.97 inches, 1.80 inches above average, ranking in the wettest third on record for the period
Precipitation averaged across Hawai’i in April totaled 4.11 inches, 0.90 inch below average, ranking in the middle third of the 1991–2025 record. Drier-than-average conditions were mostly observed on the eastern portions of Moloka’i, Maui and the Big Island, while most other areas experienced above-average rainfall. Precipitation across Hawai’i for January–April was 15.65 inches, 6.42 inches below average, ranking in the driest third of the 1991–2025 record.
Drought
According to the April 29 U.S. Drought Monitor report, approximately 37.0% of the contiguous U.S. was in drought, down about 6.4% from the beginning of the month. Drought conditions expanded or intensified across parts of the Southwest, southern Rockies, northern High Plains, Florida and Hawai’i. Meanwhile, drought contracted or was reduced in intensity across much of the central U.S., parts of southern Appalachia and the Great Lakes region.
Monthly Outlook
Much of the country is expected to be warmer than average in May, from the Rockies eastward to the Atlantic and southward to the Gulf Coast. Above-average precipitation is favored in parts of the West and Rockies, and is likely across the southern Plains, while drier-than-average conditions are expected in the upper Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes region.
Drought conditions in May are likely to persist across the Southwest and northern Plains, with some improvement in the central Great Basin. Portions of the southern and central Plains should see some drought improvement and areas of removal, but the upper Mississippi Valley can expect some areas of drought development. Drought will likely persist and expand across the Carolinas and western Virginia; conditions in some areas further northeast are expected to improve.
Visit the Climate Prediction Center’s Official 30-Day Forecasts and U.S. Monthly Drought Outlook website for more details.
Significant wildland fire potential for May is above normal for parts of the Southwest and upper Mississippi Valley, and from the Mid-Atlantic coastal regions down to Florida. For additional information on wildland fire potential, visit the National Interagency Fire Center’s One-Month Wildland Fire Outlook.
For more detailed climate information, check out our comprehensive April 2025 U.S. Climate Report scheduled for release on May 13, 2025. For additional information on the statistics provided here, visit the Climate at a Glance and National Maps webpages.
Published
May 8, 2025
Related Links
April 2025 U.S. Climate Report (Available May 13, 2025)
National Temperature and Precipitation Maps
Climatological Rankings Explained
State of the Climate Summaries
Here are more “ETs” recorded from around the planet the last couple of days, their consequences, and some extreme temperature outlooks, as well as any extreme precipitation reports:
Here is More Climate News from Friday:
(As usual, this will be a fluid post in which more information gets added during the day as it crosses my radar, crediting all who have put it on-line. Items will be archived on this site for posterity. In most instances click on the pictures of each tweet to see each article. The most noteworthy items will be listed first.)