PEI

Why April seemed so cold, when it actually wasn't

It's May 1 and it seems like we've put a cold and wet April behind us.

April precipitation was 83% above normal

Gloves and scarves have been essential accessories these last few mornings. (Kevin Yarr/CBC)

It's May 1 and it seems like we've put a cold and wet April behind us.

But while April was very wet, it was actually 0.1 C above average for temperature, as measured at Charlottetown Airport, coming in at 3.2 C. That includes daytime highs and nighttime lows.

CBC meteorologist Jay Scotland said it can be difficult to gauge temperatures from your memory in the spring and fall.

"When it comes to the shoulder seasons an average day is oftentimes a rarity, as that seasonal temperature is comprised of many warm and cold days observed over the last 30 years," said Scotland.

"This April is a good example of that. For the first half of the month we enjoyed a number of warmer than normal days followed by much cooler weather over the last week or so. In the end it all evened out."

(Jay Scotland/CBC)

In the first half of the month there were eight days with daytime highs above average. In the second half of the month that trend reversed, with eight days below average. Those above average days early in the month are not so clear in our memories now.

But if it seemed wet to you there's no mistake in that.

Average precipitation in April is 83.7 mm. This year we saw 153.4 mm, 83 per cent above average. That included three days where more than 20 mm of rain fell, but thankfully a little less snow than normal.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin Yarr

Web journalist

Kevin Yarr is the early morning web journalist at CBC P.E.I. Kevin has a specialty in data journalism, and how statistics relate to the changing lives of Islanders. He has a BSc and a BA from Dalhousie University, and studied journalism at Holland College in Charlottetown. You can reach him at kevin.yarr@cbc.ca.