April Came in Hot
The first half of April featured record- to near record-setting warmth for many parts of the Northeast. In fact, Huntington, Charleston, and Elkins, WV, and Pittsburgh, PA, had their warmest start to April on record. Precipitation was below normal in areas closer to the coast but abundant in interior locations, leading to a mix of drought deterioration and improvement across the region. Snowfall during the period was limited.
Read more in the NRCC BlogNortheast News
Drought Expands in the Mid-Atlantic, Improves in New England
The U.S. Drought Monitor released on Thursday, April 16 showed drought and/or abnormally dry conditions expand in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia. These areas received little precipitation and saw declines in streamflow, groundwater levels, and soil moisture. However, conditions improved in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts due to beneficial precipitation, and in some places snowmelt, which boosted streamflow, groundwater levels, and soil moisture.
- Severe drought was introduced in southern Maryland but was trimmed in Maine and New Hampshire.
- Moderate drought spread in West Virginia and an area from southern Maryland to southeastern New York but contracted in northern New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts.
- Abnormal dryness expanded in Delaware, parts of Maryland, and West Virginia but was erased from parts of Vermont and southeastern Massachusetts.
- Seven-day streamflow was normal or lower for much of the Northeast, with record low flows in concentrate in the Mid-Atlantic.
- Groundwater levels generally ranged from record low to much above normal.
- The short-term outlooks for April 23-29 predict near-normal precipitation and below- or near-normal temperatures for a large portion of the Northeast, which could pause deterioration depending on precipitation amounts.
Website Highlights
Weather Station Data
Weather Station Data includes location-specific information, such as wind data, evapotranspiration, and daily almanacs.
CLIMOD 2 is a user-friendly website to find single-station and multi-station climate products for locations accross the country. For example, the Seasonal Ranking report produces a graph and table of extremes or other summaries for a specified period for each year.
Go to CLIMOD 2State & Regional Analyses
These provide several map types, regional climate summaries, snow survey data, and drought information.
The Monthly Maps offer a variety of monthly precipitation and temperature departure maps for any given month for the Northeast region or a selected state.
Go to Monthly Map pageAnalyses for Industry
Analyses for Industry shows products the NRCC has created through partnerships with various industries.
The Apple Frost Risk page has maps and animations for Red Delicious, Empire, and McIntosh apples. The maps show accumulated chill, growing degree days, phenological stages, and kill probability.
Go to Apple Frost RiskWebinars & Workshops
Webinars & Workshops provides recordings and presentations from the monthly webinar series, as well as information on past and upcoming workshops.
The Northeast Regional Climate Center hosts a monthly webinar series with NOAA affiliates to address timely weather topics.
Go to Monthly WebinarsPublications & Services
Publications & Services includes the NRCC blog, quarterly outlooks, as well as other reports and publications.
The Quarterly Outlooks are seasonal climate highlights and outlook for the upcoming season for the Eastern, Region, Great Lakes, and Gulf of Maine. Published in March, June, September and December.
Go to Quarterly Reports