April Weather Review

April of 2022 was a warm, windy and dry month across south central and especially southeast Colorado, as weather systems moved mainly north of area, bringing very windy and mainly dry weather across southern Colorado.  This dry and very windy pattern brought critical and extreme fire weather conditions to much of south central and southeast Colorado through out the month, with several wildfires and dust storms recorded across the region in April. For the month of April as a whole, generally at and above normal temperatures and below to well below normal precipitation were experienced across south central and southeast Colorado.          

The following graphics depict monthly temperature and precipitation departures from normal across the state for the past month of April.

The preliminary average temperature in Alamosa for the past month of April was 43.0 degrees, which is 0.4 degrees above normal. Alamosa recorded 0.44 inches of precipitation through the month of April, which is 0.13 inches below normal. Alamosa recorded 1.5 inches of snow through the month of April.  

The preliminary average temperature in Colorado Springs for the past month of April was 51.6 degrees. This is 4.1 degrees above normal and make April of 2022 the 8th warmest April on record in Colorado Springs. This remains well behind the warmest April of 1981, when the April average temperature was 53.8 degrees.  Colorado Springs recorded only 0.01 inches of precipitation through the month of April. This is 1.44 inches below normal and makes April of 2022 tied with April of 1964, as the driest April on record. Colorado Springs recorded only a trace of snow through the month of April. This is 5.5 inches below normal and makes April of 2022 tied (nine other years recording a trace of snow) as the 6th least snowiest April on record. This is just behind the April's of 1946, 1943, 1934, 1930 and 1903, when no snow was recorded in Colorado Springs.   Colorado Springs set 3 daily record high temperatures through the month of April, including a high temperature of 87F on April 22nd. This also tied the April monthly high temperature of 87 degrees, set on April 30th, 1992. 

The preliminary average temperature in Pueblo for the past month of April was 52.9 degrees. This is 1.6 degrees above normal and makes April of 2022 the 29th warmest April on record. This remains well behind the warmest April of 1981 when the average April temperature was 59.6 degrees. Pueblo recorded 0.51 inches of precipitation through the month of April, which is 1.06 inches below normal. Pueblo recorded only a trace of snow through the month of April. This is 3.4 inches below normal and makes April of 2022, tied as the 12th least snowiest April on record in Pueblo. This remains just behind 11 years when no snow was recorded in Pueblo, with the last being April of 2006.     

Looking ahead into May in Alamosa, the average high and low temperature of 64 degrees and 30 degrees on May 1^{st, warm} to 76 degrees and 37 degrees by the end of the month. The average temperature for the month of May in Alamosa is 51.7 degrees.  Alamosa averages 0.60 inches of precipitation through the month of May.      

In Colorado Springs, the average high and low temperature of 65 degrees and 38 degrees on May 1^{st, warm to 77} degrees and 48 degrees by the end of the month. The average temperature for the month of May in Colorado Springs is 57.1 degrees.  Colorado Springs averages 1.99 inches of precipitation and 0.6 inches of snow through the month of May.           

In Pueblo, the average high and low temperature of 71 degrees and 40 degrees on May 1^{st, warm to 83} degrees 51 degrees by the end of the month. The average temperature for the month of May in Pueblo is 61.4 degrees.  Pueblo averages 1.57 inches of precipitation through the month of May.                         

Below is the Climate Prediction Center's (CPC) temperature and precipitation outlook for the month of May (issued April 21st), which gives better chances of above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation across all of south central and southeast Colorado.