Did April showers bring May flowers? For much of the U.S., the answer is “it depends.”
Good thing we have the April U.S. temperature and precipitation report ready. Some highlights:
➡️ The U.S. experienced its third-warmest April on record, with record-warm average temperatures observed across more than 700 counties and affecting more than 50 million people.
➡️ The last 12 months (May 2025–April 2026) were warmer than any other 12-month period on record for the CONUS.
➡️ The Upper Midwest region experienced its wettest April on record, receiving approximately twice its average precipitation.
➡️ Severe to exceptional drought covered over 40% of the U.S., with the Southeast experiencing its greatest extent on record.
Want to learn more? See our link in the bio to learn more.
It’s Kermit & Miss Piggy’s 50th anniversary! No, the two Muppets didn’t get married… Those are the names of NOAA’s two P-3 Hurricane Hunters!
Join the NOAA Heritage Program’s Curator, Mark Weber, “On the Heritage Trail” as he visits NOAA’s Aircraft Operations Center in Lakeland, Florida to discuss some of the P-3s’ most interesting artifacts with veteran Flight Engineer Dan Tyson!
Visit the link in bio to learn more🔗
#FlyNOAA #50YearsofNOAAP3
New NOAA-led research on the history of pink salmon population growth in the Great Lakes may help fishery managers and communities in the North Atlantic and Arctic tackle the rapid abundance of the species in these new areas.
Learn how pink salmon adapted to life in the Great Lakes at the link in our bio.
Image credit: Chuck Scribner, with permission.
Happy #EarthDay from NOAA Satellites! 🌎
Since 1970, our satellites have watched over our planet, capturing its beauty and power from above. 🛰️
For #EarthDay2026, we celebrate our stunning, dynamic home—and the science that helps us better understand and protect it.
See our world from a different perspective in our latest #EarthFromOrbit video!
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Credits:
@noaa@nasa@cira_csu
Music:
“Passionate Research” by Laurent Dury [SACEM]; Koka Media [SACEM] and Universal Production Music France [SACEM]
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#EarthDayNOAA #HappyEarthDay
The mystery of the "golden orb" has finally been cracked!
Remember that strange, shiny gold blob scientists found two miles deep in the Gulf of Alaska back in 2023? After more than two years of scientific investigation, we finally have an answer.
Turns out, it’s not an extraterrestrial egg or a lost piece of pirate treasure... it’s the remnants of a giant deep-sea anemone (Relicanthus daphneae)!
Specifically, it was the base of the anemone that helps it stick to rocks. The anemone either died or decided to pack up and move house, leaving its shiny golden "foot" behind for us to find.
Science truly is the ultimate detective story.
Check out the full reveal in this special #EarthDayNOAA feature story by clicking on the "golden orb" link in our bio.
#ocean #explore #oceanexploration #science #discovery #goldenorb #EarthDay
Earth Week 2026: A time to rediscover and reconnect to the wonders of our home planet.
Follow #EarthWeekNOAA and visit https://noaa.gov/earthday for cool science stories, infographics, video and more
Meet NOAA’s incident meteorologists: These specially trained meteorologists with NOAA’s National Weather Service are dispatched to incident command centers and posts at the request of emergency managers.
Find this story at www.noaa.gov
via @nws
[Photo credit: Robert Hyatt/NOAA National Weather Service]
To kick off #EarthMonth we are bringing you stunning views taken by NOAA’s South Pole researchers as they said goodbye to the sun for the season! 👋
Did you know that South Pole station staff experience just 1 sunrise and 1 sunset per year?!
"The sunset marks a shift for the station. Winter is here and with it the long, cold night. Last month, the final planes departed, leaving behind the 45 winterovers that will remain isolated for eight months. Spirits are high and there is much excitement for the dark night sky to arrive. We will miss the sun, but not too much." said NOAA technician Luke Longren.
“Watching the sun trace the horizon over night and day, sinking lower as time passes, feels as if we’ve left our world for one far less familiar. It’s truly a privilege to experience something so few people get to witness." said NOAA station chief LT Mike Doneghey.
Learn more about @noaagml South Pole research at the link in our bio.
Passengers, pilots and crew: Get ready for greater peace of mind.
Starting in late March, a new NOAA weather forecast system will provide improved prediction of two #aviation hazards that pose threats to flight safety and create anxiety among passengers: airplane #icing and #turbulence.
Find this story at www.noaa.gov
via @NOAAresearch
[Photo credit: Getty Images, November 2025.]
#science #nature #aviation #airplane #jet #AviationWeather #forecast #sunset
The National Hurricane Center is rolling out two new products for the 2026 hurricane season!
New Hurricane Track Cone: The operational cone map will now include inland U.S. tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings. This helps inland communities stay vigilant against wind hazards.
New Storm Surge Alerts: Hawaii will now receive new storm surge watches and warnings.
To learn more about the product improvements for the 2026 hurricane season check out the full report here: https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/national-hurricane-center-to-issue-new-forecast-cone-graphics-for-2026-hurricane-season
*** Please note: The image shown in the post is an example of the new cone graphic using a previous hurricane (Milton) only -- and is NOT a current tropical storm.
#2026HurricaneSeason #NOAA #NHC #nws
The tidal level records at the Honolulu geophysical observatory were really on a roll in the 60s!
This bank of recording instruments recorded coastal water level observations at remote sites throughout Pacific Basin on large rolls of paper. They were part of the U.S. Tsunami Warning System, which NOAA and its predecessors have been running for more than 50 years.
Today NOAA has much more advanced recording and analysis tools to monitor for tsunamis and the earthquakes and other phenomena that cause them so that we can provide timely and accurate tsunami messages, but these old analog recorders did their job admirably in their time.
Catch up with the NOAAstalgia series at https://www.noaa.gov/heritage/noaastalgia-picturing-our-past.
(Credit: NOAA)
![Happy #EarthDay from NOAA Satellites! Since 1970, our satellites have watched over our planet, capturing its beauty and power from above. ️For #EarthDay2026, we celebrate our stunning, dynamic home—and the science that helps us better understand and protect it.See our world from a different perspective in our latest #EarthFromOrbit video!**Credits:@noaa @nasa @cira_csuMusic:“Passionate Research” by Laurent Dury [SACEM]; Koka Media [SACEM] and Universal Production Music France [SACEM]**#EarthDayNOAA #HappyEarthDay](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6739543359424449285557_0_8add8152b990ca3e157455dac8d28c14.jpg?o=aHR0cHM6Ly9zY29udGVudC1pYWQ2LTEuY2RuaW5zdGFncmFtLmNvbS92L3Q1MS43MTg3OC0xNS82NzA5MzU2MDdfMjQ0MTU3NTc3OTYxMzk4MF8yNjExNTIzMTY3NTkwOTI4MDI1X24uanBnP3N0cD1jMC4yNDguNjQwLjY0MGFfZHN0LWpwZ19lMTVfdHQ2Jl9uY19odD1zY29udGVudC1pYWQ2LTEuY2RuaW5zdGFncmFtLmNvbSZfbmNfY2F0PTEwMCZfbmNfb2M9UTZjWjJnR2tRNWxVR01pR1hlWUdrSW5sQ0VaLVRDSmdwQUlwR25rckxRSWV1bk1adjU5ZEhmLXQ1T25SRUk0TGx2Z3piYzhIdmtpS0pDd3RycENONzBzTERDSGImX25jX29oYz1FRTlBVTNibGtWb1E3a052d0U2ZWlETCZfbmNfZ2lkPV93QkxyQWtYRVBGV0hIUzFYNGtUdmcmZWRtPUFQVTg5RkFCQUFBQSZjY2I9Ny01Jm9oPTAwX0FmNEdzSXlLNjl6OGhaaXVidFppMC1tNHBzd3VwZktoSmRNMkFvYzlLTU1tSmcmb2U9NkEwRjE3RDgmX25jX3NpZD1iYzBjMmM=&h=02472425e2866f60340f430a7cc68139)
![Meet NOAA’s incident meteorologists: These specially trained meteorologists with NOAA’s National Weather Service are dispatched to incident command centers and posts at the request of emergency managers.Find this story at www.noaa.govvia @nws[Photo credit: Robert Hyatt/NOAA National Weather Service]](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6747254641633563315423_0_3db8cd4854846dd3b3b44f4bff13a904.jpg?o=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&h=da653dddaa238ee0195977087b69cde8)
![Passengers, pilots and crew: Get ready for greater peace of mind.Starting in late March, a new NOAA weather forecast system will provide improved prediction of two #aviation hazards that pose threats to flight safety and create anxiety among passengers: airplane #icing and #turbulence.Find this story at www.noaa.govvia @NOAAresearch[Photo credit: Getty Images, November 2025.]#science #nature #aviation #airplane #jet #AviationWeather #forecast #sunset](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6747175257161038134823_0_17c4501c4d55e91450f22216ca5587c6.jpg?o=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&h=2a99391e8ba92ec47e964f0366634c5a)
