As the saying goes… “April showers bring May flowers,” but where did that originate?

Some believe it’s from a poem in the 12th century by Thomas Tusser titled “A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry,” where he writes, “Sweet April showers Do spring May flowers.” Others attribute it to the legendary Geoffrey Chaucer, author of "The Canterbury Tales." 

Either way, the saying has remained for centuries, making the month of April synonymous with showers, which leads to plenty of blooming for May.

Halfway through the month of April and it seems every week the weather here in St. Louis is unsettled. How is the area doing regarding climate? Let’s check the stats.

Using St. Louis Lambert International Airport for climate information, the month so far has recorded 1.70 inches of precipitation with 0.1 inch of that being snow, which fell on April 8. 

This might seem like an exorbitant amount, but we should have 2.18 inches for this time in the month. Overall, April is a wetter month than the winter months, tipping the bucket with 4.73 inches by the end. Our area averages 0.2 inches of snow for the entire month.

April is another transition month, as it encompasses all of early spring. Temperatures can range from the 30s to 80s and even once in a while, top that 90-degree mark.

For April 2022 so far, we recorded the highest temperatures on April 10 and April 12, when the mercury reached 78 degrees. The coldest morning low was on April 1, when we began the day at the freezing mark. April 8 felt more like winter, with temperatures only reaching the low 40s with snowflakes. 

It seems like it’s been a cool month, but, according to climate data, nine days have been above average with six below average.

We record the high temperature any time of the day, even if it happens around midnight. With such powerful cold fronts crossing the region recently, we’ve seen the mercury go from the 70s early in the day to the 40s by the afternoon.     

What does the latter half of April look like? According to the Climate Prediction Center, temperatures look to be above average for the last week of April and precipitation above average.

Based on these predictions, come May, the St. Louis area should see plenty of flowers.