Weatherwatcher: April in review: wetter and warmer

-April 2012 in review, wetter, and warmer than normal.

-ENSO status.

April 2012 in review If it seemed like we had a lot of rain for April, that's because we did.  However April showers bring May Flowers!  Or is that June?  Maybe it's June for us.

Temperature wise, we had a couple of several day streaks where we were above our 3 year average temperature.  This is thanks to our several sunny and 60°F + days, with one day breaking the 70°F mark.  We had a warm couple days right at the beginning of April, again around the 11th, 17th, and our 70°F day on the 22nd.  We had some upper 60's high temperatures before and after the 22nd as well.  

There was 9 days with low temperatures in the 30's.  One morning (April 7th) got down to 32.5°F, I didn't see any frost or ice, but I can't rule it out with a temperature that close to the freezing mark.  The average temperature for April 2012 was 49.3°F, our 3 year average is 47.1°F, so we were a little more than 2°F above normal.

Red is our 3-year temperature average for April, 

Blue is our actual daily average temperature for April 2012.

When it wasn't sunny, it was wet.  April pulled in a total monthly rainfall last month of 3.74 inches, compared to our 3-year average of 2.65 inches.  Our top 3 rainiest days was the 20th (0.59 inches), 11th (0.41 inches), and 1st (0.34 inches.)

Rainfall by day in inches for April 2012.

This year and last year April was pretty close in terms of monthly rainfall.  Wetter than 2009, or 2010, this is probably due to a La Niña both springs, however La Niña is not the only factor at play that could have caused these two abnormally wet April's or springs.

Total Rainfall for the month of April, this year (2012), last year (2011)

and our 3-year average (2009-2011)

ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) status:

The weak to moderate La Niña we had this winter and spring has dissipated during April.  We are currently in neutral conditions.  We are still likely to continue having a wetter than normal spring as the La Niña effects on the atmosphere have not yet ceased.  We may have a warmer than normal spring however in the since that in between our wet days, we will have sunny days with temperatures topping out in the 70's.

For June-July, we will probably have a cool start, with many marine influenced days, (drizzle or fog in the mornings fading to cool sunny afternoons.) Later in July and August we may have a warm spell.  We could see temperatures this summer reach the 90's for about 14 days or more, I don't think it's likely, but the possibility exists this summer for a high reaching near, or breaking 100°F.

As for when summer starts, I always like to say, July 5th, but probably closer to July 10th-15th this year.