SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — It has been a very dry and warm first half of April with lots of temperature swings. Normally, when we have lots of rain come through, but not this April. How does this compare to other Aprils?

Siouxland has seen temperatures as cold as the 30s for highs on April 5th, but then climbing up into the low-70s just two days later. Temperatures then jumped into the 80s on April 11th and then set records in the low-90s on April 12th. We saw temperatures in the low-90s for April 13th as well but just short of the record. Temperatures then crashed by the 15th with high temperatures dropping more than forty degrees for the 15th, with a very cold and windy weekend. Temperatures then climbed into the 60s once again for the 17th.

Despite the wind and rollercoaster forecast, that usually gives a bit of precipitation and even severe weather. This time, most of the time it was brought in with Red Flag Warnings as relative humidity was as low as 20% or lower at times. The only times we really saw any measurable precipitation was snow showers coming through on April 1st as mother nature comes to fool us with another taste of winter, very light rain coming overnight April 9th, and then very light rain coming through on April 15th. In total, that only gives us .21″ of precipitation through April 17th.

With less than two weeks left in the month, we are on track to be one of the driest Aprils on record. Most of the top 10 driest Aprils have around six tenths, to a third of an inch of precipitation including .66″ in 2020, .64″ in 1982, .62″ in 1936 and 1969, and .61″ in 1987. To top that, Siouxland had .55″ in 1934, .47″ in 1981, and .45″ in 1942, .33″ in 1928, and just .22″ in 1926.

Based on latest data, it is looking like it will stay very dry for the last two weeks of April. If that is the case, it would likely place us in the top 10 driest unless we get a soaking of rain.