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Not Many April Showers

apr pdpt map

April was a drier-than-normal month for a majority of the Northeast.

April precipitation ranged from 25% of normal to 150% of normal, with most areas seeing 50-100% of normal. Thirty-three of the region’s 35 major airport climate sites received below-normal precipitation, with fifteen of those ranking this April month among their top 20 driest.

apr precip chart

Newark, NJ and Kennedy Airport, NY had their second driest Aprils on record.

The Northeast saw below-normal precipitation in March, but only 6% of the region was experiencing abnormally dry conditions at the end of the month. The continued lack of precipitation in April led to the expansion of abnormal dryness (34% of the region) and the introduction of moderate drought (5% of the region). The dry conditions also contributed to several brush fires in the region.

US Drought Monitor maps fpr March 31 and April 28

The U.S. Drought Monitor released on March 31 and April 28 show the increase in coverage of abnormal dryness and moderate drought. Click to enlarge.

apr tdpt map

Most areas ended April on the cool side of normal.

Average temperatures for April ranged from more than 4°F below normal to 3°F above normal, with most areas from 4°F below normal to near normal. The coldest spots were in parts of New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire, while the warmest spots were in southwestern West Virginia. Twenty-one airport climate sites saw below-normal temperatures.

apr temp chart

Three sites ranked the month among their top 20 coldest Aprils.

apr sdpt map

Snowfall varied across the region in April.

April snowfall ranged from more than 6 inches below normal to more than 6 inches above normal. The largest deficits were in western Maine, while the largest surpluses were found in northern West Virginia and eastern Massachusetts. The airport climate sites were nearly split, with seventeen sites seeing below-normal snowfall and sixteen sites seeing above-normal snowfall.

apr snow chart

Nineteen sites ranked this April among their top 20 snowiest, while two sites had a top 20 least snowy April.