April showers? Here's the outlook for Central Texas
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As we head deeper into our unofficial severe weather season in Central Texas, the potential for beneficial rain is looking more promising.
The latest outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for April finally points towards a wetter-than-normal outlook after several drier-than-normal months in a row. We haven't had a wetter-than-normal month since November 2022.
Now that La Niña has ended, the temperature of the waters in the eastern equatorial Pacific has a much lower impact on the weather we see in Central Texas and indeed North America. Now we look at general pattern variations to give us a better heads-up about medium to long-range changes.
While odds favor wetter weather for April, we're still expecting warmer-than-normal temperatures across most of the southern tier of the United States.
Last April 2022 was the 6th warmest April in Austin history.
Our last cooler-than-normal month was November 2022.
What’s normal for April in Austin?
- Average High: 80.3
- April 1 Average High: 78º
- April 30 Average High: 83º
- Average Low: 58.9º
- April 1 Average Low: 56º
- April 30 Average Low: 62º
- Average Rain: 2.42″ (3rd driest month on average)
- Average Snow: 0″
Spring drought and flooding forecast
Along with the April forecast, the Climate Prediction Center also updated its spring drought and flooding outlook.
They expect that areas currently in drought in Central Texas will see drought continue or worsen. This is an improved outlook compared to one from just a few weeks ago which expected drought to expand east of I-35 in areas not currently considered in drought.
The spring flooding forecast did not paint a worrisome picture for Central Texas.
Stay with the First Warning Weather Team as we continue to track the weather through severe weather season which typically peaks in May.