Tied As Fifth Warmest April

By Russell Russ

April’s weather this year was tame. Temperatures were up and down throughout the month, which is normal for the seasonal transition month of April. It might not have felt like it, but this April was warmer than normal. It had more ups than downs for temperatures. Tree and plant blooms and leaf-out were about average. Short periods of cooler-than-normal or warmer-than-normal temperatures play a significant role in exact dates for blooms. Overall, everything bloomed about average or possibly a little earlier than average this spring. A little snowfall is common in Norfolk in April, and this year was no different. A brief heavy snow squall on April 7 was winter’s last push, just to remind us that snow is possible even though the calendar says it is spring. There was rain and even some snow, but there were numerous days this month that were warm and sunny. Weatherwise, not a bad month at all. The lilacs observed for the phenology study near the weather station leafed out April 10-14. Like last year, this is about average compared to the previous 58 years that lilac observations have been recorded near the weather station in Norfolk.

With an average monthly mean temperature of 48.0 degrees, the month of April was 4.9 degrees above normal. This April was tied with April 2023 as Norfolk’s fifth warmest April. April’s low temperature of 20 degrees was observed on April 8 and the high of 82 was observed on April 16. A high temperature of 81 on April 15 tied the 1941 daily record for that date. A low temperature of 23 degrees on April 21 just missed the 1981 record low of 22 for that date. Norfolk’s warmest April was in 2010 with 49.4 degrees and the coldest was in 1943 with 36.8 degrees.

The total precipitation recorded for the month was 4.39 inches, 0.11 inches above normal. The largest rainfall came April 15-16 when we picked up 0.84 inches from overnight rainfall. There were four thunderstorms observed this April. One each day from April 14-17. None of the thunderstorms were severe around Norfolk, but it was surprising to have four on four consecutive days—in April. It was kind of like spring’s way of announcing (loudly) that it was here. Through April, the total precipitation for the year was 14.17 inches, 2.10 inches below normal. A little deficit, but nearly two inches less of a deficit than last year through April. Norfolk’s driest April was in 1941 with 1.15 inches, the wettest was in 1983 with 10.79 inches.

The total snowfall for the month was 1.4 inches, all of it falling on April 7. This was 4.7 inches below normal, but many Aprils have recorded little or even no snowfall. Besides the snowfall on April 7, which came as light snow during the early morning, then in a heavy squall later in the morning, there were flurries and light snow showers observed on April 6, 19 and 20. There was no real plowable snow in April, although the town and state plow trucks may have come out after the heavy squall on April 7. Norfolk’s average April snowfall amount is 6.1 inches. There have been many Aprils with very little or no snowfall. The snowiest April was in 1997 with 31.1 inches.

The 2025-26 winter season (October-April) snowfall total of 75.2 inches was 13.5 inches below normal. Assuming there is no measurable snowfall in May (there was none through May 24), this winter season will rank below normal, but respectable. Compared to recent winters, this winter was much better for snowfall. Had it not been for March’s poor snowfall effort of just 2.0 inches, this winter would have been very near normal or possibly even a little above normal for snowfall. Norfolk’s top three least snowy winters are: 2015-2016 with 35.5 inches, 1994-1995 with 40.9 inches,and 2021-2022 with 43.4 inches. Norfolk’s snowiest winter season was in 1955-1956 with 177.4 inches.

Weather observations are recorded by the Great Mountain Forest at Norfolk’s National Weather Service Cooperative Weather Ob-server Station, Norfolk 2SW.