Here come the 80s: Wild weather not unusual for April, experts say

The tail end of April has been both lion and lamb in terms of weather.

A little less than a week ago, Southwestern Pennsylvania recorded more than an inch of snowfall and a low temperature of a balmy 32 degrees. About 1.6 inches fell, according to the National Weather Service, bringing the month’s total to about 2.4 inches.

The average snowfall for April is about 1.5 inches, and the snowiest April on record was in 1901 when 13.5 inches fell, with nearly all of it coming in one day.

Wednesday didn’t break any low-temperature records – the record April 21 low was 22 degrees in 1875 – and Tuesday won’t see any new highs despite temperatures jumping into the 80s.

“It’s unseasonable but not abnormal,” said Pat Herald, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Moon, noting average highs for this time of year are generally in the 60s.

The record high temperature for any April 27 on record came in 1990 when temperatures in the region reached 89 degrees.

Herald said it’s important to remember that those averages are made up of extremes over the years.

“Is it abnormal for it to be 80 degrees in April? No, especially late in the month,” he said.

The seemingly wild swings in temperature over the last week also aren’t too unusual, Herald said: “That’s what spring is all about.”

A high-pressure dome over the eastern half of the country brought with it the sunny, warm weather, according to Herald, and rain is coming in behind it. Temperatures will drop over the next two days, and rain is in the forecast for the latter half of Wednesday into Thursday. Herald said there’s a chance of thunderstorms during that time, too.

The Pittsburgh region has gotten about 1.26 inches of rain so far in April, and the average precipitation is around 3.11 inches, according to the NWS. The rainiest April was the same as the snowiest April in 1901. Along with the 13 inches of snow, just over 8 inches of rain fell, too.