By Bill Kappel
April was a “back to normal” month around the region, with temperatures just a little cooler than normal overall and precipitation, including snowfall, right about where we would expect. But as always during this time of the year, the transition from winter to spring never goes smoothly. This meant the path to normal was anything but normal, with swings from winter to spring and back to winter happening every few days. This was a nice change from last April when we had a record dry April. And given that moisture in April is very important for us to kick off the growing season, the moisture we received was extremely beneficial.
The first week of the month was a good example of most of the month. Temperatures started off in the low to mid-60s over the first three days with dry conditions. But a cold front moved through just after midnight on the 4th, bringing a swing to cold conditions and snowfall. Temperatures were in the 30s and 40s from the 4th through the 6th with 4-8 inches of snow accumulating. In addition, clearing skies and fresh snowfall allowed temperatures to fall quickly on the morning of the 5th. The low dipped down to the single digits above and below zero, which are near-record levels for this time of the year.
Quiet and mild conditions quickly returned over the next week, with our warmest temperatures of the month occurring from the 10th through the 12th. Temperatures warmed through the 50s on the 7th, to the 60s on the 8th and 9th to near daily record levels in the mid- to upper 70s on the 11th and 12th. Of course, this stretch of mild weather was interrupted by another cold front and quick shot of wet snow on the 14th and 15th. This round of snow and cold started off with some good old rain showers and graupel during the late morning and early afternoon, then quickly switched to heavy snowfall. There was even some thunder mixed in during the afternoon. Snow continued that evening and through the next morning, with another 4-8 inches accumulating in the area.
The weather pattern again swung to the mild side over the next few days, with 50s and 60s returning from the 16th through the 19th. However, another round of cool and unsettled weather moved in starting on the 20th and continuing through the 28th. During this unsettled period, several rounds of snow and wind affected the area with 5-12 inches accumulated during the week. However, we actually got “lucky” as there was significantly more snowfall in regions to our south and to our northeast.
The last few days of the month saw a return to mild conditions, with lots of sunshine and 60s for highs.
A couple of interesting things to note during this time of the year. First, the snow that does fall melts very quickly, even when the temperatures are cold. This is because the sun angle is much higher, similar to August. Second, elevation plays a critical role in snowfall amounts as we head into spring. The 7,000-foot level is often a dividing line between snow and rain and even a few hundred feet of elevation can make a big difference. Just going from I-25 in Monument to the top of the Palmer Divide around Hodgen and Highway 83 can be the difference between 6 inches of snow and no snow accumulations. Just more of the fun things we get to enjoy around the Tri-Lakes region.
A look ahead
May often brings a wide variety of weather conditions to the region, from warm, sunny days to severe thunderstorms and hail, and even some snowfall. We can see very wet weather, sometimes heavy snow and other times our first 90-degree temperatures of the year. So be prepared for just about anything.
April 2023 Weather Statistics
Average High: 56.3° (-0.2°)
Average Low: 25.5° (-2.1°)
Highest Temperature: 77° on the 11th, 12th
Lowest Temperature: 1° on the 5th
Monthly Precipitation: 2.34” (-0.62”, 20% below normal)
Monthly Snowfall: 24.4” (-2.3”, 96% below normal)
Season to Date Snow: 71.1” (-46.5”, 9% below normal) (the snow season is from July 1 to June 30)
Season to Date Precip.: 4.47” (-1.73”, 28% below normal) (the precip season is from January 1 to December 31)
Heating Degree Days: 724 (+35)
Cooling Degree Days: 0
Bill Kappel is a meteorologist and Tri-Lakes resident. He can be reached at billkappel@ocn.me.
Other Weather articles
- November Weather Wrap (12/5/2024)
- October Weather Wrap (11/2/2024)
- September Weather Wrap (10/5/2024)
- August Weather Wrap (9/7/2024)
- July Weather Wrap (8/3/2024)
- June Weather Wrap (7/6/2024)
- May Weather Wrap (6/1/2024)
- April Weather Wrap (5/4/2024)
- March Weather Wrap (4/6/2024)
- February Weather Wrap (3/2/2024)