April showers bring May flowers, so they say. Despite springtime snowfall, precipitation was down from last year’s numbers this April. The squall was one of three events marking the month’s weather regionally. An eclipse and an earthquake both caused commotion but only one influenced weather data.
TEMPERTURES
The average of each day’s average temperature was 49.5 degrees Fahrenheit in April. The average low was 39.1 F and the average high 59.9 F.
The average temperature is down from last year, when it was 52.6 F, but up from 10 years ago when it was 47.4 F.
PRECIPITATION
The rainiest day came on April 12, when there was 0.8 inches of precipitation.
On April 3 and 4, a mix of rain, sleet and snow blanketed the region. Respectively, there was 0.48 and 0.53 inches of precipitation each day. The monthly sum was 3.54 inches, up from 2014’s 2.44.
ECLIPSE
The coldest recorded temperature this month was courtesy of the solar eclipse on April 8. The day’s low was 28 F. When the moon covers the sun, there is a sudden drop in temperature, according to NASA.
EARTHQUAKE
Just days before the eclipse, New Yorkers were shaken — both literally and figuratively — when a 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit the state. The quake was centered in New Jersey but was felt as far away as parts of southern Maine. While the earthly event certainly hallmarked conditions for the day, it had nothing to do with the weather.
According to NASA, there is little to no correlation between earthquakes and the weather.
“We also know that most earthquakes occur far beneath Earth’s surface, well beyond the influence of surface temperatures and conditions. Finally, we know the statistical distribution of earthquakes is approximately equal across all types of weather conditions. Myth busted,” reads an article on the administration's website.