April weather continued the trend of warmer-than-normal temperatures this year, but rainfall was close to normal and with the rain, came severe weather.
Our warmest high was 86, on the 28th and 29th. Our coolest low was 38 degrees on the morning of the 6th. Our average high for the month was 78. Our average low was 55, giving us day/night monthly average temperature of 66 degrees, which was 3 degrees warmer than normal.
Most of our rainfall for the month, 2.36 inches, was received on April 2nd. Denton Enterprise Airport recorded .48″ on the 17th and .47″ on the 21st, which was a severe weather day. Total rainfall for the month was 3.42 inches, about a third of an inch lower than normal. So far this year, Denton has received 9.24″, roughly 2.5″ less than normal for this point in the year.
Severe weather struck Denton County on March 31st, with an apparent EF-1 tornado damaging homes in Lewisville. April 10th, golf ball hail was reported in Flower Mound, and smaller hail at Lewisville. Severe weather struck again on the afternoon of the 21st with golf ball hail reported at Hebron and numerous smaller hail reports across the area. The worst of the weather struck north, with baseball size hail south of Gainesville and a small tornado, which crossed I-35 near Valley View. The cold front that followed gave Denton its coolest high of month, 61 degrees on the 22nd.
The Storm Prediction Center placed the DFW area under a serious “Enhanced Risk” of severe weather for Saturday, April 29th. Storms formed just east of Dallas County, producing at least four tornadoes, two of which were initially rated with EF-3 damage. At least 4 people were killed in Van Zandt and Rains Counties, with two tornadoes crossing I-20 east and west of Canton.
WBAP and WFAA News 8 hosted the second annual “WeatherCon” at Love Field’s Frontiers of Flight Museum Saturday, April 22nd, during Preparedness Weekend. Over 3,000 people are estimated to have attended the event, which featured Meteorologist Mike Smith, who along with Dr. Ted Fujita, helped prove the existence of microbursts following the crash of Delta 191 at DFW in 1985.
Meteorologist/Structural Engineer/Research Stormchaser, Tim Marshall shared some of his incredible experiences and a standing-room-only Q&A session heard from Pete Delkus of WFAA and this broadcaster, who was privileged to autograph a copy of The Cross Timbers Gazette for a listener.
Looking ahead, the Pacific Ocean appears to be in a neutral phase. Earlier indications of a La Nina developing have changed. At least half of the models now predict the start of another El Nino, but not until fall or later. Accordingly, forecasts for the summer months have changed their hot/dry bias to near normal temperatures and rainfall. If those predictions verify, May weather could continue the trend of frequent severe weather outbreaks. Don’t let down your guard.
Brad Barton is Chief Meteorologist of WBAP820/570KLIF/99.5 The Wolf and the Texas Rangers Baseball Club.
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