Record-breaking warmth grips U.S. in early 2023

The US has experienced remarkable warmth in the first four months of 2023, with some states seeing their warmest January-April period on record. The period has also been marked by seven separate billion-dollar disasters, including severe weather events, a winter storm/cold wave, and a flooding event. The average precipitation for the first four months of 2023 was 0.74 inches above normal, ranking in the wettest third of the January-April record. Several notable weather systems produced severe thunderstorms and a number of tornadoes that impacted portions of the US in April 2023.