D.C.’s Streaky April Weather

 

April 2022 will finish as a cooler and wetter than average month in the Nation’s Capital.  However, D.C.’s monthly average temperature doesn’t truly encapsulate how streaky this month’s weather has been.  There have been stretches of above and below average temperatures of varying length throughout the month.

April began on a cool note with 9 of the first 11 days that were cooler than average.  Measurable rainfall also occurred on 6 of the first 11 days of April making it not only cool but rainy as well.  That was followed by a hard pivot to much warmer weather.  Following a high of only 56° on April 10 (more typical of March 14), D.C. jumped to a high of 80° on April 12 (more typical of May 28).  Washingtonians enjoyed highs in the 80s on four out of five days between April 12 and April 16. 

D.C.’s warmest temperature of the month occurred on April 13 (86°) which is more common of June 16.  By comparison, D.C.’s coldest temperature this month (39°) occurred three times, most recently on April 28.  D.C.’s coolest day of the month occurred on April 18 with a high of only 48° (D.C.’s average high on February 12).  Temperatures were cooler than average during the entire five-day stretch of April 17 – 21 and was followed by warmer than average weather on April 22 – 26.  

April will finish with 5 days of highs in the 80s for D.C.’s highest such total since 9 occurred in April 2017.  However, D.C. has averaged between three and four April days in the 80s over the last 30 years.  The big difference this month has been the 19 cooler than average days.  D.C.’s average monthly temperature (combining daily highs and lows) through April 29 is 1.1° below average.  The Nation’s Capital hasn’t had a warmer than average April since 2019.

With a mostly sunny and stellar final day of April, D.C. will finish with 3.82” of rainfall this month.  That’s 0.61” above average and is also significantly wetter than last April (2.20”) in the Nation’s Capital.  Any rainfall surplus during the spring is great news for area gardeners.  The first few days of May will feature above average temperatures with several chances for showers and thunderstorms.