April 2022 Summary – Warmer and Drier Than Average

Blue Hill Observatory April 2022 Summary:

April was warmer than average with less rain and snowfall and more sunshine than average. The 24-hour adjusted mean temperature for the month of 47.3 deg F was 2.4 degrees warmer than the 1891-2020 130-year average for April, and it was just 0.6 degrees warmer than the 1991-2020 30-year average. The average maximum temperature of 57.5 deg F was about a degree warmer than the 30-year average, and the average minimum temperature of 38.7 deg F was just under a degree warmer than the 30-year average. The highest temperature observed was 71F on the 13th, which was lower than the highest temperature of 73F recorded during March, The lowest temperature during the month of 32F was observed on the 18th. This reading will likely be the last freeze of the season, and it occurred five days earlier than the mean date. The total precipitation was 2.97 inches, which was just over an inch less than the 130-year average and nearly two inches less than the 1991-2020 30-year mean. The greatest precipitation in 24 hours was 0.96 inches on the 19th all occurring during the first six hours of the day with winds gusting over 50 mph as a strong storm passed through the area. The total snowfall for the month was just a trace, which was observed as a trace of sleet during some light rain showers on the 17th. There was one thunderstorm day during April with thunder recorded during the early morning hours of the 8th, and a brief period of pea-sized hail was observed during convective showers on the afternoon of the 9th. The mean wind speed for the month was 12.9 mph, and the prevailing wind direction was from the northwest. The highest wind gust was 56 mph from the west-northwest following the passage of rain squalls and a cold front on the 1st. April sunshine was above average with a total of 217.2 hours of bright sunshine, or 56 percent of possible, which was seven percent more than the long-term average for April.

Mike Iacono
Chief Scientist
Blue Hill Observatory