MD Climate Bulletin (April 2024) April warmer than normal with above normal precipitation in north and below normal in south

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Good morning,

 

From Alfredo Ruiz-Barradas - state climatologist

 

With apologies for the delay, we now share the Maryland Climate Bulletin for April 2024. You can access it from the following link:

 

https://www2.atmos.umd.edu/~climate/Bulletin/bulletin_mdsco_current.pdf

 

Points to highlight are:

1) Statewide averages show this month was warmer and drier than normal. This is the fifth consecutive month with temperatures warmer than normal.

2) Regionally speaking, mean temperatures were warmer than normal everywhere, especially in Garrett County (around 4.2°F) and portions of Montgomery and Frederick counties (around 3.3°F). Precipitation was above normal over the state's northern counties, particularly Garrett County (2.5 inches) and parts of Harford, Cecil, and Kent counties (around 1.5 inches).  Below-normal precipitation was found over the rest of the state, especially over parts of Caroline, Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset, and Worcester counties (2 inches deficit) that received around forty percent of their climatological precipitation.

 

3) Drought conditions were absent again, and above-normal streamflow was present throughout the state at the end of April 2024. 

 

4) Mean temperatures showed significant warming trends (1895-2024) everywhere in the state; the larger trends are found over the northern-central counties, with a maximum over Baltimore City (4.0°F/century). Precipitation displayed significant wetting trends only over Garrett and Allegany counties (0.6 in/century). 

 

5) Mean, maximum, and minimum statewide temperatures in April 2024 (56.6, 67.2, and 46.0°F) were above the long-term averages, but only the mean and minimum temperatures were among the 10% of the highest values (1895-2023). On the other hand, statewide precipitation (3.23 in) was below the long-term average. Temperatures and precipitation were far from their historical records.

 

6)  April 2024 was the fourth warmest April in Garrett County, the seventh warmest in Howard and Montgomery counties, the eighth warmest in Frederick, and the ninth warmest in Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties. It was also the fifth driest April in Wicomico County, the seventh driest in Somerset and Worcester counties, and the eighth in Dorchester County.

 

7) Minimum temperatures in April 2024 in the counties and Baltimore City were closer to their warmest temperatures on record than the maximum temperatures were.

 

The bulletin is issued once per month and shows the state's recent monthly surface temperature and precipitation conditions in a simple format, helping Marylanders better understand regional climate variations.

Please help disseminate this bulletin.

 

Thanks,

 

Alfredo