AUSTIN (KXAN) — The latest outlook from the Climate Prediction Center shows increasingly likely odds of wetter weather for the month ahead.
April rainfall outlook (CPC)
The previous April outlook released mid-March suggested a wet April was possible and this latest outlook adds even more confidence for higher rainfall in Central Texas.
April is typically not a wet month for Central Texas, it’s actually our third driest month on average.
Now that La Niña has ended and we’ve entered a “neutral” phase of ENSO, 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.
While odds favor wetter weather for April, we’re still expecting warmer-than-normal temperatures across most of the south and southeastern United States.
April temperature forecast (CPC)
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″
Drought update
The latest drought monitor report released March 30 showed a one-category worsening for most of Central Texas. For the NWS Austin/San Antonio warning area, this latest report had the highest percentage of Exceptional Drought since late August of 2022.
Latest drought monitor report (March 30, 2023)
How much rain is missing?
Over the last 12 months, most of Central Texas is missing 12-20 inches of rain.
12-month rainfall departure from normal (Southern Regional Climate Center)
Austin typically averages around 36 inches of rain per year making this deficit account for 1/3 to a little more than 1/2 of our normal annual rainfall.