April tends to be active, but, as you may already suspect, the chance for accumulating snow diminishes. Average daily highs and lows are slowly but surely increasing.
One thing that strikes me every year is how the change to a constant warm or mild pattern happens. Same in the fall, with it turning to near constant cold. The transition to get to each stage is gradual, but then it happens all at once.
Even though it still snows occasionally in April, the warmer ground, higher sun angle and normally light snowfall amounts bring about rapid melting when the sun comes out - even on unseasonably cold days.
Here are the top five snowiest Aprils on record.
1. 23.8 inches (April 1901)
2. 20.2 inches (April 1979)
3. 19.5 inches (April 1885 &1904)
4. 15.8 inches (April 1990)
5. 14.9 inches (April 1997)
More recently, we’ve had a few Aprils where only a trace of snow was recorded. Please keep in the mind that the official records for Rochester are recorded at the Greater Rochester International Airport. Locally more snow may have fallen in localized lake-effect snow bands.
In case you’re wondering, the latest big snow event on record occurred on Mother’s Day in 1989 when just under 11 inches of snow was recorded at the airport.
We are on the jet stream storm track, so rain and wind events are common.
Thunderstorm season also kicks off with occasional strong, gusty winds and heavy rain. More often than not, these are somewhat localized in our neck of the woods. They, however, can pack quite a big punch with damaging wind gusts and hail.
We’ll keep you posted right here on Weather on the 1s ahead of and during these events.
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