The onset of tropical cyclone season in the North Atlantic basin is a few weeks away. Interestingly, the North Atlantic tropics have cooled to below normal the last several months. Recovery can certainly occur however leading forecast models maintain this cool signature into the core of tropical cyclone season and also indicate signs of a potential El Nino. If an El Nino were to form and the North Atlantic tropical waters were near or cooler than normal, the 2018 tropical cyclone season would observe diminished activity.

Nationally, the U.S. ranked 13th coolest in the 1895-2017 climatology for the month of April. The Midwest U.S. was record cool and minimum temperature averages for the month were record cool for most of the U.S. Corn and Wheat Belt.

Dryness across southwest and southeast Australia Crop Areas continues based on the April 2018 soil moisture analysis provided by Bureau of Meteorology/Australia. We await potential beneficial winter rainfall to ease drought this winter season caused by a projected negative phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole. The -IOD pattern has yet to develop.

The cold season 2017-18 northern hemisphere snow cover was well above normal thanks to a snowy mid-to-late winter (and early spring) in North America particularly Alaska where one of the snowiest winter seasons on record was observed according to the Rutgers University Global Snow Laboratory.