April - Above-Normal Temperatures for Most

April average temperatures ranged from 4°F below normal to 6°F above normal.

While April average temperatures ranged from 4°F below normal in West Virginia to 6°F above normal in Maine, most of the Northeast experienced a warmer-than-normal April. Average temperatures at the 35 major climate sites ranged from 1.4°F below normal in Charleston, WV, to 4.6°F above normal in Caribou, ME. Thirty of those sites experienced above-normal April temperatures, with 16 ranking this April among their 20 warmest on record.

Sixteen major climate sites ranked this April among their 20 warmest on record.

April precipitation ranged from 25% of normal to 200% of normal.

April would have been a much drier month for several locations if not for a late-month storm. Overall, April precipitation ranged from 25% of normal in eastern Pennsylvania and western Maine to 200% of normal in several spots including western Vermont and northeastern New York. At the 35 major climate sites, April precipitation ranged from 34% of normal in Allentown, PA, to 142% of normal in Binghamton, NY, with 28 of the sites being on the dry sde of normal. While four of the sites ranked this April among their 20 driest on record, two ranked it among their 20 wettest. Below-normal precipitation, particularly during the first half of the month, contributed to the expansion of abnormal dryness and moderate drought.

This April was among the 20 driest on record at four major climate sites but among the 20 wettest at two sites.

April snowfall ranged from more than 3 inches below normal to more than 3 inches above normal.

While April isn’t typically a very snowy month, many locations average at least some snowfall. This April, snowfall varied, ranging from more than 3 inches below normal to more than 3 inches above normal. The largest deficits were generally found in northern West Virginia, northwestern New York, and central Maine while the largest surpluses were generally found in northern Maine, northeastern and western New York, and central Massachusetts. At the 35 major climate sites, April snowfall ranged from 4.3 inches below normal in Elkins, WV, to 4.0 inches above normal in Worcester, MA, with the site having its 20th snowiest April. Overall, 25 of the sites saw below-normal snowfall.

While 25 of the major climate sites saw below-normal April snowfall, Worcester, MA, had its 20th snowiest April.

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center indicates that May could be wetter than normal for western portions of the Northeast, with equal chances of below-, near-, or above-normal precipitation forecast for eastern areas. There’s a tilt toward above-normal temperatures for far southern parts of the region, with equal chances of below-, near-, or above-normal temperatures predicted for the rest of the Northeast.

May is expected to be wetter than normal for areas shaded green. Equal chances of below-, near-, or above-normal temperatures were forecast for most of the Northeast. Click to enlarge.