April

Weather Events: Canada | United States | World

Quote of the Month

Significant Weather Events

Canada

1 April 1962, Alma, New Brunswick: Torrential rains fall on Alma measuring 179.1 mm (7.05 inches) on this date and storm total over 48 hours of 228.6 mm (9.00 inches).

2 April 1997, Maritime Provinces: An intense winter storm slams the Maritimes. Freezing rain knocks out power to more than 4,000 homes on Prince Edward Island.

3 April 1974, Windsor, Ontario: Tornado hits city killing 9 and injuring 30. Damage exceeds $1.5 million.

3 April 2011, Southern Alberta: Residents wake to a thick blanket of fresh snow with Calgary among the cities hardest hit. Environment Canada estimates between 20 and 30 cm (8-12 inches) of snow had fallen on the city by 3 pm -- the biggest snowfall event this winter. Springbank in southern Alberta reported 18 cm (7 inches)of snow, Pincher Creek 24 cm (9.4 inches), and Claresholm 25 cm (10 inches).

3-4 April 2003, Toronto, Ontario: A rare mid-spring ice storm covers southern Ontario causing nightmares on the regional highways. The Ontario Provincial Police fielded over 900 calls in the Toronto-area alone. Adding to the misery, most private snow-clearing contracts had expired on 1 April. At Pearson International Airport, ice-caked wings ground aircraft for hours.

4 April 2010, The Maritimes: Temperatures soar into the mid twenties (Celsius) in the Maritimes, shattering high temperature records. St. Stephen, New Brunswick is the hot spot in Canada at 25.9°Celsius (79 °F). Records fall at Fredericton New Brunswick, 25.1°C (77 °F); Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, 20.8°Celsius (69 °F); and Halifax , Nova Scotia, 24.7°C (76 °F).

4 April 2012, Southern Manitoba: A warm southerly flow brings warm air into southern Manitoba. Daily high temperature records are set at Swan Lake, 18.9°C (66 °F) and Gretna, 16.8°C (62.2 °F).

5 April 1999, St. John's, Newfoundland: A strong, late-winter storm batters Newfoundland. The tempest, sporting 90 km/h (56 mph) winds, buries St. John's under 69 cm (27.2 inches) of snow.

6 April 1981, Southern Saskatchewan: Wind gusts reach 110 km/h (67 mph) across southern Saskatchewan, closing down schools, knocking down power lines, and stripping topsoil from farmlands. Local farmer claims it is the worst dust storm in 20 years in the area.

7 April 1985, Niagara Falls, Ontario: Windstorm gusting to 110km/h (70 mph) rakes Southern Ontario. Wind twists the elevator cables on the Skylon Tower trapping seven passengers.

8 April 1962, Halifax, Nova Scotia: A rainfall of 76.7 mm (3.02 inches) deluges Halifax, the wettest April day on record .

8 April 1998, St. John’s, Newfoundland: A record rainfall of 64 mm (2.5 inches) floods St. John’s forcing pedestrians to wade through knee-deep water.

8-9 April 2012, Gaspe, Quebec: An Easter weekend snowstorm covers eastern Quebec and the Maritimes with snow. Gaspe receives 35 cm (14 inches).

9 April 2000, Montreal, Quebec: Record April snowfall of 37 cm (14.6 inches) shuts down Montreal. Snow removal contracts had ended on April 1.

10 April 2011, Southwestern Ontario: An intense thunderstorm cell generated brief periods of hail ranging from pea-sized to golf ball-sized in Goderich, Stratford, Hensall, and Seaforth.

11 April 2004, Victoria, British Columbia: Record heat settles over southern British Columbia this Easter weekend with Victoria shattering long-term record highs. The 24.4 °Celsius (76 °F) downtown (Gonzales) breaks a century old record for the day. At the airport, the high of 23.2°Celsius (74 °F) broke a fifty-year record.

11-14 April 1984, St John's, Newfoundland: Ice storm accumulates up to 15 cm (6 inches) thick on power lines. Power outages leave 200,000 residents of Avalon Peninsula in the dark and cold.

12 April 1951, Toronto, Ontario: Toronto's Pearson International Airport 41.7mm (1.64 inches) tallies its wettest April day on record.

13 April 2003, Southern Manitoba: A record warm day in southern Manitoba sees several daily temperature records set. Gretna boasts the hotspot reaching 27°Celsius (80.6°F) whilst Sprague is a tick behind at 26.8°Celsius (80.2°F).

14 April 1966, Victoria, British Columbia: Normally snow-free Victoria covered in 7.6 cm (3 inches) of wet snow.

14 April 2006, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory: A Good Friday snowstorm dumps 16.6 cm (6.54 inches) on Whitehorse, the highest one-day snowfall on record (dating back to 1943). Most unusual is the water content of the snow. Snow in Whitehorse usually is light, dry, fluffy snow, and 16 cm (6.3 inches)typically yields less than 6 mm (0.24 inches)of water. This snowfall has a water equivalent of 15.8 mm (0.62 inches).

14 April 2011, Mt Washington, Vancouver Island, British Columbia: The ski resort on Mt Washington has officially extended its season into the Easter weekend, thanks to a heavy snowfall this season. The total snowfall for the resort is now 1,840 cm (724 inches/60.4 ft), breaking the record previously set in the 1998-99 season..

15 April 1984, Terrace, British Columbia: Intense wind storm capsizes fishing vessels and sailboats, damages powerlines and buildings and fans forest fires. Gusts as high as 124 km/h (75 mph) reported. Several million dollars in damage.

15 April 2004, Deer Lake, Newfoundland: Deer Lake becomes Canada's hot spot for the day as the thermometer soars to 19.6°C (67 °F), a local record for the date.

16 April 1958, Watrous, Saskatchewan: Tornado rips through the community. A large barn is destroyed trapping 100 pigs within and others scattered by the winds. Five were discovered more than five kilometers (3 miles) from the barn.

17 April 2010, Northern Manitoba: Residents of Northern Manitoba basked in summer-like conditions, as record temperatures are reached at Thompson, 20.8°C (69 °F) and Lynn Lake: 20.2°C (68 °F) while Churchill ties their previous record high of 12.3°C (54 °F),

18 April, 1855, Southern, Ontario: Tornados rake across southern Ontario from Collingwood to. One lifts a saloon up into the air.

18 April, 2012, St. John's, Newfoundland: Icebergs floating southward off the Labrador coast run aground near St. John's, Newfoundland, The bergs are a reminder of the Titanic disaster a century earlier.

19 April 1985, Regina, Saskatchewan: Regina's wettest April day sees 31.4 mm (1.24 inches) of rainfall.

19 April 2008, South Coastal British Columbia: A record snowfall surprises many in southern British Columbia by as an overnight storm clogging highways and knocking out power to thousands. Snowfall records are set in Nanaimo, Victoria and Vancouver. Accumulations at Victoria International Airport reach 6.4 centimetres, more than any April day since 1940. In Nanaimo, 24 centimetres covers the ground at the airport by late morning the first measurable snow on April 19 since 1947. In Vancouver, the storm is the latest April snowfall on record.

19-20 April 2005, Southern Ontario: The Ministry of Environment issues their earliest warm-season smog advisory. Traditionally, the smog season runs from May to September.

21 April 1980, Dauphin, Manitoba: Dauphin records is hottest April day on record when the temperature climbs to 35.3°C (96 °F).

17-20, 27-29 April, 1967, Southern Alberta: A series of blizzards in late April drop a record 175 cm (69 inches) of snow across southern Alberta. Thousands of cattle perish on the open range, unable to graze in the deep snow.

22 April, 1932, Elgin, Manitoba: Fifty-two wild geese in flight struck by lightning and killed.

22 April, 1985, Toronto, Ontario: Toronto records warmest ever April temperature 30 °C (86 °F). Day turns out to be the warmest of 1985.

22-23 April, 1980, Gaspe, Quebec: Two very wet days in Gaspe: Total of 253.1 mm (9.96 inches) of rain falls in 48 hours with 144.2 mm (5.68 inches) on the 23rd.

23 April, 2006, Kashechewan, Ontario: Spring thaw causes area rivers to flood Kashechewan in Northern Ontario causing nearly 900 residents to flee for the third evacuation in less than a year. The rising rivers flood homes, and ice debris snaps a valve in the reserve's water treatment plant leaving residents without tap water.

23 April, 2012, Southern Alberta: For a second straight day, record heat covers southern Alberta. Medicine Hat, Alberta sets a new high temperature record at 31.3°C (88 °F). Records set elsewhere include Lethbridge 28.6°C (83.5 °F); Calgary, 25.8°C (78.4 °F); and Banff, 21.9°C (71.4 °F).

24 April, 1985, Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland: Pushed by high winds, a late snow storm buries the Avalon Peninsula with 30 cm (12 inches) of snow. Clean-up slow as most snow-clearing equipment was being readied for summer storage.

24 April, 2002, Gillam, Manitoba: Total snowfall accumulates 13cm (5.1 inches) in 24 hours.

25 April, 2004, Gander, Newfoundland: A late April snowstorm buries Gander with a one-day record 35 cm (14 inches) of snow and a total storm snow accumulation of over 40 cm (18 inches).

25 April, 1954, Nanaimo, British Columbia: A tornado near Nanaimo destroys a garage, yet leaves the car inside undamaged.

26 April, 2010, Southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia: A powerful coastal storm generating strong winds, reaching 90 km/hr (56 mph), causes power outages on south Vancouver Island that affect more than 5,000 homes.

26-27 April, 2003, Calgary, Alberta: A near-record snowfall, 40 to 65 cm (16-26 inches) in some parts of the province, downs power lines and trees, collapses roofs and causes havoc on roadways in and around the city.

27 April, 1993, Nova Scotia: A storm bringing snow, freezing rain and ice pellets across the southern Maritimes dumps 18 cm (7 inches) of snow fell on Greenwood. The storm is also blamed for three deaths in an traffic accident near New Glasgow.

27 April, 2011, Fergus, Ontario: The first tornado of the season strikes Fergus in mid-afternoon leaving some minor damage to local buildings in the area. It is rated as an F0.

28 April, 1999, Prince Edward Island: As a snowstorm batters Prince Edward Island, the Confederation Bridge records a wind gust to 112km/h (70 mph).

28 April, 2002, Ottawa, Ontario: A late winter storm leaves Ottawa with a record 17 cm (6.7 inches) of snow.

28 April, 2005, Rankin Inlet, Nunavut: Rankin Inlet receives its heaviest snowfall on record: 26.4 cm (10.4 inches).

29 April, 1967, Lethbridge, Alberta: The 24-hour snowfall of 53cm (20.9 inches) sets the all-time record for Lethbridge.

29 April, 1997, Maritimes and Newfoundland: A late season snowstorm dumps 12-15 cm (4-6 inches) of snow over the Maritimes and Newfoundland. St. John's, Newfoundland records 21cm (8.3 inches) of snow.

30 April, 2008, Fredericton, New Brunswick: Heavy rain and melting snow cause the Saint John River to overflow in Fredericton, where water levels measured at 7.28 metres (23.9 ft).

Now Available! Order Today!
NEW! Now Available in the US! And Now...The Weather by Keith C. Heidorn To Order in Canada: And Now...The Weather by Keith C. Heidorn	The BC Weather Book: From the Sunshine Coast to Storm Mountain by Keith C. Heidorn

United States

1 April 1923, Eastern States: Residents awake to "April Fool's Day" bitterly cold temperatures: -34 °F (-36.7 °C) at Bergland Michigan and to 16 °F (-8.9 °C) in Georgia.

1 April 1987, White Fish Bay, Wisconsin: Tornado strikes during a snow squall and damages a mobile home.

2 April 1975, Chicago, Illinois: O'Hare Airport is closed as 10.9 inches (27.7 cm) of snow buries the Windy City. The storm is the city's biggest snowstorm so late in season, dumping as much as 20 inches (51 cm) across northeastern Illinois.

2 April 2006, Central Mississippi Valley/Ohio Valley: Widespread severe weather produces a major tornadic outbreak As many as 86 tornadoes are reported across Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee. At least 23 deaths ae attributed to the storms across the region

3 April 1955, Wyoming and Montana: Record snows fall across north-central Wyoming and south-central Montana. Billings, Montana receives a storm total of 42.3 inches (107 cm). Sheridan WY establishes a 24-hour snowfall record with 26.7 inches (68 cm).

3 April 2008, Little Rock, Arkansas: A tornado hits parts of Little Rock and its suburbs passing directly over the National Weather Service office. The tornado, rated an EF-1, knocks down numerous trees and powerlines and destroyed homes in Leawood and Cammack Village. A total of six tornadoes rake central Arkansas this day, fortunately no one died from the storms.

3 April 2012, North Texas: As many as 11 confirmed tornadoes race across north Texas and the Dallas-Ft. Worth metropolitan area doing considerable damage to homes and businesses. The NWS investigations rate four as EF-0s, one at EF-1, three at EF-2s, one of EF-3 strength. The EF-3 tornado hit Forney.

4 April 1804, Augusta, Georgia: A large tornado crosses six Georgia counties killing at least eleven persons near Augusta.

4-5 April 1983, Wasatch Mountains, Utah: A severe canyon wind (gusts of 60-80 mph (96-138 km/h) with peak of 104 mph (166 km/h)) overturns 12 flatbed railroad cars with loaded trailers on the Union Pacific line near Farmington.

5 April 1936, Tupelo, Mississippi: A F5 tornado slashes a path of destruction over 400 yards (400 m) wide through the residential section of Tupelo. The evening storm kills 233 persons, injures 700 others, and inflicts $3 million in damage. Fortunately for popular music history, the home of the toddler Elvis Presley is missed.

5 April 1972, Vancouver, Washington: A tornado, rated as an F2, strikes an Oregon marina on the south shore of the Columbia River and then hammers Vancouver on the north shore., The tornado, America's deadliest tornado of the year and Washington's worst ever, kills six and injures 304 others, causing more than $5 million in damage.

5 April 1945, Eagles Nest, New Mexico: The temperature plunges to 45 °F below zero (-43 °C) to establish an April record for the United States.

5 April 1972, Vancouver, Washington: A tornado strikes Vancouver, killing six people, injuring about 300 more and causing $3 million in damage. Among the injured are about 70 children from the Peter S. Ogden Elementary School, which is demolished.

5 April 2010, Winnemucca, Nevada: Winnemucca residents watch 3.7 inches (9.4 cm) of snow fall, setting a daily maximum snowfall record

6 April 1936, Gainesville, Georgia: A pair of F4 tornadoes destroy most of the business district of Gainesville, causing $13 million in damage. The duo kill 203 and injure 934. The most deaths occur at the Cooper Pants Factory where at least 70 died, the greatest death toll caused by a tornado on record for a single building.

6 April 2003, Jackson, Mississippi: The city's storm sewers are tested as a record daily rainfall of 7.38 inches (187.5 mm) falls.

6-9 April 2007, Cleveland, Ohio: The opening-season series between the Indians and Minnesota Twins is wiped out by a snowstorm and a cold snap. The Indians lead 4-0 when their home opener Friday (the 6th) was called off by umpires because of heavy snow. The grounds crew who tried to make the field playable with backpack blowers and brooms, spent more time on the field than the players during nearly three hours of stoppages. About a foot of snow remained on the field Monday afternoon (the 9th).

7 April 1987, Miami, Florida/International Falls, Minnesota: Is the map upside down? The temperature in Miami. Florida drops to a record low for this date 66 °F (18.9 °C) meanwhile in the north, International Falls, Minnesota warms with record afternoon high of 71 °F (21.7 °C).

7 April 2003, Upper Midwest States: An unwelcomed Spring snowstorm drops over a foot (30 cm) of snow in parts of South Dakota, Nebraska and southern Minnesota. When it is over, Albert Lea, Minnesota, receives 14 inches (40 cm), and Greeley, Nebraska, has 12 inches (30 cm). Sioux Falls, South Dakota collects 7 inches (18 cm).

7 April 2010, Grandfather Mountain,North Carolina: The temperature on Grandfather Mountain, NC hits 80°F (26.7 °C) , the warmest ever measured in April and only 3 degrees F ( 1.7 degees C) away from their all-time record high for any month.

8 April 1926, San Luis Obispo, California: A lightning-set oil depot fire spawns many tornadic vortices from its heat. One traverses 1000 yards (915 metres), picking up a house and carrying it 150 feet (45 m). The two occupants inside are killed.

8 April 1965, San Juan Capistrano, California: Two tornadoes arise at Capistrano Beach and head inland, causing property damage and downing of power lines. From eyewitness reports, the tornadoes travel 1 mile (1.6 km) along Del Obispo, and dissipate at Via Belardes.

9 April 1947, Woodward, Oklahoma: A tornado strikes Woodward during the late evening killing 95 persons and causing six million dollars damage. The tornado, one to two miles in width, and traveling at a speed of 68 mph (105 km/h), kills a total of 167 persons along its 221-mile (355-km) path from Texas into Kansas, injures 980 others, and causes nearly ten million dollars damage.

9 April 2011, Midwestern and Southeastern United States: A severe weather outbreak across the Midwest and the Southeast, spawns as many as 31 tornadoes across Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina. One of the hardest hit communities was Mapleton Iowa in Monona County. Officials estimate that more than half the town is damaged or destroyed, but amazingly, none of the 1200 residents are killed by the EF3 tornado that cut a path about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) long and three-quarters of a mile (1.2 km) wide through the community.

10 April 2003, Western North Carolina: A late-season winter storm cover the higher elevations of the western North Carolina mountains with 22 inches (56 cm) of snow.

10 April 2007, Fairbanks, Alaska: Unseasonably warm temperatures cause Fairbanks to as the record a high of 56 °F (13.3 °C) which tied the record set in 1957. Fairbanks' high exceeded that registered on this day in Atlanta, Georgia by 2 F degrees (1.1 C deg).

11 April 1965, Great Lakes States: Palm Sunday Tornado Outbreak: 51 reported tornadoes strike the States of Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan Ohio, Indiana and Iowa resulting in 256 deaths and over 1500 injured.

12 April 1934, Mount Washington, New Hampshire: Winds atop Mount Washington averaged 186 mph (298 km/hr) for five minutes, with a peak gust of 231 mph (370 km/hr).

12 April 2010, San Joaquin Valley, California: Afternoon thunderstorms moving across the San Joaquin Valley drp one-inch (2,5 cm) diameter hail at Fresno, while lightning destroys two units of a condominium. As many as three funnel clouds are also spotted across the region.

13 April 1857, Alabama: Portions of Alabama received a surprise 4 inches (10 cm) snow in a late-season storm.

13 April 2004, Western Kentucky and Tennessee: A late-season storm surprises the region with snow causing six traffic fatalities. In Jackson, Tennessee, it is the latest measurable snowfall on record.

13 April 2006, Iowa City, Iowa: An F2 tornado, one of a dozen in the region on this day, tears through this community including the University of Iowa campus. The storm severely damages many buildins including a sorority and local church during a pre-Easter service. However, though preliminary damage estimates exceed $12 million, no one is killed in the city.

13 April 2012, San Francisco Bay, California: Rare thunderstorms move across the San Francisco Bay area producing 700 lightning strikes during the 3-hour evening storm.

14 April 1886, Saint Cloud, Minnesota: A devastating tornado cuts a 20-mile (33 km) path through the Saint Cloud area killing 74 persons. Eleven are killed at a wedding party near the town of Rice.

14 April 2012, Wichita, Kansas: More than 90 tornadoes rage across Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa. In Wichita, Kansas, a reported EF3 tornado causes damage at McConnell Air Force Base and the Spirit AeroSystems and Boeing plants and the airport.

14-15 April 1921, Silver Lake, Colorado: 24-hour snowfall descends on area: 76 inches (193 cm) to set world record. [Mark broken in January 1997.]

15 April 2003, Southern New Mexico: Blowing dust driven by powerful winds as high as 50 mph (80 km/h) with gusts to 130 mph (210 km/h) sweeps across southern New Mexico. The dust storm prompts road closures and causes a 10-car pileup that kills two.

15 April 2012, Woodward, Oklahoma: The tornado outbreak that started the previous day and produced as many as 125 tornadoes spun up its deadliest tornado in Woodward about 12:20 a.m Sunday morning, when the main squall line moves through western Oklahoma. This devastating EF3 tornado kills six in Woodward.

16 April 1851, Boston, Massachusetts: The famous "Lighthouse Storm" rages near Boston Harbor,destroying Minot Light with its two keepers still inside. Whole gales and gigantic waves from the storm result in major shipping losses and severe coastal erosion.

16 April 2007, Albany, NewYork: An intense nor'easter raging along the New England Coast causes the barometric pressure reading at Albany to to fall to 28.84 inches of mercury (976.68 mb), the lowest barometric pressure reading ever recorded in April in the Empire State's capital city.

17 April 1953, Northeastern Oklahoma: Everything but the kitchen sink: A severe storm spreads hail, snow, sleet, glaze, and rain, across sections of Kay, Osage, Creek, Tulsa, Washington, and Rogers Counties in northeastern Oklahoma.

17 April 2008, Navajo, New Mexico: The afternoon temperature in Navajo only reachs a high temperature of only 45°F (7.2 °C), which tied a low high temperature record for the date.

17-30 April 1965, Upper Mississippi River Valley: The Mississippi River reaches a flood crest at Saint Paul Minnesota four feet (122 cm) higher than any previous mark. During the next two weeks, record levels are reached along the Mississippi between Saint Paul and Hannibal, Missouri. Flooding causes more than 100 million dollars damage, but timely warnings keep the death toll down to just twelve persons.

18 April 1944, Sacramento Valley, California: California's worst hailstorm of record damages two million dollars as two consecutive storms destroy the fruit crop.

19 April 1881, Nation City, South Dakota: Rail contact finally made with outside world as 79-day snow blockade ends isolation of Nation City.

19-20 April 2006, The Dakotas: An intense spring snowstorm sweeps across the region, dumping up to 5 feet (152 cm) of snow. The heaviest snow falls in the Black Hills, with 59.4 inches (151 cm) at Lead, South Dakota. Bowman, North Dakota, accumulates about 18 inches (45 cm). The storm closes highways including I-94 in North Dakota, cuts power to thousands and is blamed for at least four deaths.

20 April 1901, Ohio: A strong spring storm drops unseaonably heavy snow in northeast Ohio. Warren receives 35.5 inches (90 cm) in thirty-six hours, and Green Hill, 28 inches (71 cm). Akron establishes 24-hourApril snowfall record of 15.6 inches (39.6 cm).

20 April 2011, Appleton, Wisconsin: A late season snowstorm dumps a record 9.4 inches (23.9 cm) of snow on Appleton.

21 April 1958, Montana: Portions of the State experiences spring snowburst. Snowfall accumulations ranged up to 55 inches (140 cm) at Red Lodge, 61 inches (155 cm) at Nye Mine, and 72 inches (183 cm) at Mystic Lake.

22 April 1883, Beauregard, Mississippi: A major tornado outbreak claims 200 lives across Kansas to Mississippi. The entire town of Beauregard is destroyed with 29 deaths and 100 injuries.

22 April 2011, St. Louis, Missouri: A family of tornadoes hits St. Louis's Lambert International Airport blowing out the windows of the main terminal and tearing the roof off Concourse C. Five people are taken to the hospital with minor injuries from shattered glass and flying debris. Damage to the airport is extensive.

22 April 2012, Death Valley, California: Hot weather across the American Southwest sends the thermometer soaring to 113°F (45°C) degrees at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California. According to extreme weather expert Chris Burth, this ties the hottest reliable April temperature ever recorded in the US.

23 April 1870, Estherville, Iowa: The Estherville Vindicator uses the term blizzard in reference to a storm that produced heavy snow and high winds in Minnesota and Iowa from 14-17 March 1870. This is the first published application of blizzard as a weather term according to David Ludlum (Early American Winters, Volume II, 1968).

23 April 1885, Denver and Idaho Springs, Colorado:Snow storm in Colorado covers the city of Denver in 23 inches (58 cm) of snow in 24 hours. Storm at Idaho Springs produces 32 inches (81 cm) of snow.

24 April 1834, Sargeant, Nebraska: Four and a half inch (11.4 cm) diameter hail is reported near Sargeant.

24 April 1908, Amite, Louisiana, Purvis and Natchez, Mississippi: A deadly tornado strikes the comunities of Amite, Louisiana and Purvis, Mississippi killing 143 people. Further north, another tornado kills 91 in Natchez, Mississippi. These two tornadoes rate among the deadliest in US history.

24 April 2003, Juneau, Alaska: The temperature soars to a maximum of 70°F (21°C), the earliest record of 70°F to occur in Juneau.

24 April 2005, Cleveland, Ohio: Late-season snow falls across portions of the lower Great Lakes. In the greater Cleveland area, one foot (30 cm) of snow accumulates in some localities.

24 April 2010, Mississippi: A long-track killer tornado of EF-4 intensity rampages across Mississippi, leaving a trail of destruction. The tornado hit the county around Yazoo City at noon tears a swath of damage miles long, reducing churches, businesses and homes to splinters. Within the city limits of Yazoo City, the tornado destroyed numerous homes and businesses. Four fatalities are confirmed in Yazoo City and ten across the state. The tornado then moves northeast across the state, causing damage and death in several other counties. The powerful has been ranked as one of the longest-tracking, widest, and deadliest tornadoes to tear through Mississippi. It traveled a total of 149.25 miles (239.5 km), the fourth longest path of any tornado to pass through Mississippi, and measured 1.75 miles (2.8 km) wide at its peak, the widest ever to tear through Mississippi.

25 April 1898, Volcano Springs, California: The temperature rises to 118°F (47.8°C), establishing a US record for the month of April, though the reading is now not accepted as reliable.

25-26 April 1969, Eastern Montana: A cold front associated with a late season storm brings sharp weather changes to eastern Montana. Following a day when numerous stations registered their month's highest temperature, the temperatures fall more than 50 Fahrenheit (27.8 Celsius) degrees in 24 hours.

25-26 April 2008, Anchorage, Alaska: Record snowfall falls over the Anchorage region. The NWS Office measures 17.2 inches (43.7 cm) at ts office just south of Anchorage's international airport and 22 inches (55.9 cm) in northeast Anchorage. The heaviest snow falling between 3 and 6 p.m. on the 25th accumlates at a rate of almost two inches (5 cm) per hour. The 15.5 inches (39.4 cm) on the 25th is the third-most for any one day in Anchorage.

26 April 1834, Deep Southern States: Killer frosts hit across the the Deep South. Frost is quite severe around Huntsville, Alabama.

26 April 2003, Sierra Nevada Mountains, California: A powerful spring storm dumps up to 20 inches (50 cm) of snow leaving some ski resorts with record April snow totals — Alpine Meadows just north of Lake Tahoe reporting more than 100 inches (250 cm) of snow, and the Kirkwood Resort south of Tahoe accumulating 112 inches (285 cm).

27 April 1898, Topeka, Kansas: The first Weather Bureau kite is launched for daily, early morning, atmospheric observations. By year's end, sixteen additional launch sites will be in operation.

27 April 1931, Pahala, Hawaii: The temperature soars to 100 °F (37.8 °C), the hottest temperature ever recorded on the Islands.

27 April 2003, Key West, Florida : The largest hail storm ever recorded at Key West falls between 410-420pm, hailstones ranging in size from one-half inch up to one and three-quarter inches fell. It is the eleventh recorded hail event (since 1871) at Key West.

27-28 April 2011, Southern United States : An estimated 305 tornadoes ravage the United States from Arkansas through Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, southern Tennessee, Virginia to Pennsylvania and New York in the largest outbreak ever recorded. The NWS has classified two EF-5 tornadoes, four EF-4 and 21 EF-3.among the total. This outbreak brings the April 2011 tornado count past 600, shattering the previous April record of 267, set in 1974. It also breaks the record for most tornadoes in any month in recorded US weather history. The estimated death toll from the outbreak is 300 of which 210 died in Alabama.

28 April 1989, Miles City, Montana: A spring outbreak of cold arctic air surges across the north central US. Pushed by strong northerly winds, up to 20 inches (50.8 cm) of heavy snow smother Miles City.

29 April 1905, Taylor, Texas: The southeastern Texas comminity of Taylor is deluged with 2.4 inches (6 mm) of rain in fifteen minutes.

30 April 1852, New Harmony, Indiana: A tornado kills sixteen persons in the village.

30 April 1994, Kaneohe Ranch, Oahu, Hawaii: It finally stops raining on the Kaneohe Ranch on the island of Oahu ending a streak of 247 consecutive days of rain which began 27 August 1993.

For More Extreme Weather Events,
Order This Relevant Book
Chosen by The Weather Doctor

Burt, Christopher C.: Extreme Weather: A Guide and Record Book, 2004 (paperback), W. W. Norton & Company, ISBN 039333015X.

To Purchase Notecard, Greeting Cards and Posters
featuring my images, visit
The Weather Doctor's Nature Gallery at Zazzle.com

World

1 April 2002, La Paz, Bolivia: La Paz receives 30mm (1.2 inches) of rain in 24 hours, nearly the total April average rainfall of 33mm (13 inches).

1 April 2008, Westport, New Zealand: A freak tornado blasts through Solid Energy's Stockton coalmine causing workers to run for cover. The twister strikes about 5.10pm, tearing the roof off a workshop, blowing-in windows and snapping a power pole. It tears about two-thirds of the 70-m roof off the building, engulfing workers in a whirlwind of broken glass and dust.

2 April 1977, Bangladesh: An outbreak of tornadoes kills 900 and injures 6,000 in Bangladesh's Madaripur district.

3 April 2002, Calcutta, India: Nine die, 50 are injured and 500 homes are destroyed when a tornado touches down just north of Calcutta.

3-4 April 2002, Spain: A rainy day in Spain: During a 24-hr period over two calendar days, 66 mm (2.6 inches) of rain drenches Barcelona. At the Costa Brava, as much as 330 mm (13 inches) falls in 12 hours.

4 April 2006, Nahariya, Israel: Severe storms rake the Western Galilee region of Israel and injure at least 70. A rare tornado and ping-pong ball sized hail accompany the storms.

4 April 2012, Buenos Aires, Argentina:

4-5 April 2010, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Extreme rains totalling 280 mm (11 inches) drench Rio in a 24-hour period. At least 200 people die and thousands loose their homes when massive mudslides touched off by the deluge destroy everything in their paths.

5 April 2004, Piedras Negras and Villa de Fuente, Mexico: A flash flood sweps through these two northern Mexico communities during the early hours, washing away houses and killing at least 50 people. Pounding rains at dawn force the Escondido River to rise 7.6 m (25 ft) in 15 minutes.

6 April 2008, Great Britain: The heaviest spring snowstorms for almost two decades blanket much of the country. At Heathrow as many as 144 flights are cancelled because of the snow. Sleet and snow descend on Manchester, the North East, the South and North Wales in the early hours, then spread to the Midlands and London. The last time Britain saw similar spring snowstorms was on April 5, 1989.

6 April 2011, Santon Downham, Suffolk, United Kingdom: The United Kingdom enjoys itdwarmest April 6th on record when the temperature at Santon Downham, outside of Londonreached 23.9 °C (75°F)

6 April 2012, South Pole Station, Antarctica: A new daily minimum temperature record is set when temperatures fell to -73.4°C (-100.1°F), surpassing the previous record of -71.7°C (-97.1°F) set in 1982.

6-7 April 2007, Northern Bangladesh: Severe storms lash villages in northern Bangladesh, destroying more than 1,000 homes and injuring at least 45 people. A tornado batters five farming villages in Tangail district at midnight.

7-11 April 2003, Champagne Vineyards, France: The worst Spring frosts in fifty years hit French champagne country destroying as much as half the champagne vines. Chardonnay grapes are the worst affected, with some 80 percent of the vines lost to the frosts.

7 April 1888, Dhaka, Bangladesh: According to a Times of London article, a 150-m (500-ft) wide tornado kills 118 and injures 1200.

8 April 1984, Madagascar: Intense tropical cyclone Kamisy batters northern Madagascar with winds greater than 180 km/h (112 mph), and rainfall reaching 711 mm (27.99 inches), Damage was greater than $US 150 million ; 82 die and 100,000 are left homeless.

9 April 1983, Chuping, Malaysia: Hottest day in Malaysian historical record; temperatures reach 38.4°C (101°F), record is tied nine days later.

8-10 April 1958, Aurere, La Reunion Island: Global 48-hr record for rainfall from a tropical cyclone is set when 2,466 mm (97.1 inches) fall on this Indian Ocean island.

10 April 1996, Barrow Island, Australia: A wind gust measured at 253 mph on Australia's Barrow Island during Tropical Cyclone Olivia has been ruled the world's fastest measured wind gust outside of a tornado by officials with the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) Commission for Climatology.

10 April 2002, Santiago, Chile: In Santiago, 26mm (1.02 inches) of rain falls in the 24 hours, twice the average April rainfall.

10 April 2012, Guizhou Province, Chna: Forty-seven villages in Guizhou Province are hit by a major hail storm that injures 25 people and damages infrastructure and crops. The largest hailstones measure 35 millimeters (golfball sized) in diameter.

12 April 1772, Teawa, Abyssinia: A whirlwind passes with a great noise overthrowing houses.

12 April 1815, Mount Tambora, Indonesia: Massive eruption of Mount Tambora blows 400 cubic kilometres (100 cubic miles) of ash skyward. Eruption disrupts the global weather for several years, particularly noteworthy: the cold summer of 1816 in North America and Europe.

12 April 2002, Omidiyeh, Iran: The Iranian town records 60 mm (2.36 inches) of rain in 12 hours, three times the April average of 20 mm (0.79 inches).

12 April 2012, Western Province of Rwanda: Torential rain falls across the western area of this central African nation. The resultant flashflooding inundates nearly 1,000 hectares (2400 acres) of critical agricultural land. Over 700 houses are destroyed or damaged, affecting nearly 11,000 people.

13 April 2000, N'Guigmi, Niger: Temperature peaks at 43.5 °C (110°F) just after midday.

14 April 1999, Sydney, Australia: Severe thunderstom lashes the city for five hours, pelting the eastern portions of Sydney with hail as large as 9 cm (3.5 inches). Damage estimated at $1 billion Australian dollars ($650 million US).

14 April 2003, Guangdong Province, China: Severe thunderstorms drops hail the size of eggs causing damage to homes and crops. The storms cause one death and 24 injuries. In the city of Nanxiong120 mm (4.7 inches) of rain fall, producing severe flooding.

14 April 2003, Muscat and Oman, Arabian Peninsula: Thunderstorms produce torrential rains and flash flooding in northern Oman leaving fourteen dead. In Nizwa, southwest of the capital city of Muscat, 66 mm (2.6 inches) of rain falls, more than double the normal April rainfall.

14 April 1986, Gopalganj District, Bangladesh: The heaviest hailstone ever recorded — 1.02kg (2.25lb) — fell in the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh

14 April 2004, Northern Bangladesh: Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes strike northern Bangladesh, uprooting trees, flattening villages and killing at least 49 people. The worst-affected areas included Netrokona where nearly 2,000 are injured.

15 April 1998, Cairo, Egypt: Cairo temperature peaks at 42 °C (107.6°F).

15 April 1912, North Atlantic Ocean: The unsinkable Titanic collides with an iceberg 700 km southeast of Newfoundland, causing the death of 1,500 people.

15-19 April 2008, China Coast: Typhoon Neoguri forms over the South China Sea on the 15th and rapidly intensifying to attain typhoon strength by the 16th, reaching its peak intensity on the 18th with maximum sustained winds near 176 km/hr (109 mph). More than 120,000 people are evacuated from Hainan when heavy rains cause flash floods across low-lying areas. Three fatalities are attributed to the storm, though 40 fishermen are reported missing. The typhoon is season's earliest and perhaps the strongest typhoon to strike China since 1949.

16 April 1949, London, England: Camden Square, London registers the UK's warmest April day on record: 29.4°C (85°F).

16 April 2008, Eastern Tajikistan: Heavy rain produces flash floods and landslides during the night affecting around 12,000 people.

16 April 2010, New Delhi, India: In the Indian capital of New Delhi, the mercury tops out at 42.8°C (109°F).

16 April 2011, Mexico City, Mexico: Mexico City is deluged by downpours that drop 38 mm (1.5 inches) of rain in less than three hours.

17 April, 1948, Tauranga, New Zealand: Ten-minute deluge dumps 34 mm (1.34 inches) of rain on Tauranga, the wettest 10 minutes ever recorded on New Zealand.

17 April, 2006, Beijing, China: A severe sandstorm, the eighth sandstorm and reportedly the worst so far in 2006 to hit the Chinese capital, travels from the China/Mongolia border to Beijing.

17-18 April, 2012, Turkey: An intense storm system with high winds moves across Greece, Crete, and into western Turkey overnight. The high winds reached 105 km/h (66 mph) at the international airport at Istanbul, Turkey and caused a dust storm at the Turkish capitol of Ankara.

18 April, 1970, Canterbury, New Zealand: Wind gust recorded on Mt John, on New Zealand's South Island reaches 250 km/hr (150 mph).

18 April, 1983, Chuping, Malaysia: Malaysia's ties its hottest day on record when the temperature reaches 38.4°C (101.1°F).

19 April, 1963, Assam, India: A tornado strikes northwestern Assam killing 139 people and leaving 3,760 families in 33 villages homeless.

20 April, 2005, Yancheng, China: A tornado strikes near the city of Yancheng in the eastern province of Jiangsu, resulting in seven dead and at least 60 injured.

20 April, 2011, Northern Europe: Frankfurt, Germany; Brussels, Belgium; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and Paris, France all bask in rare day of hot weather as temperatures in northern Europe topping those on the Mediterranean. Frankfurt hit a high of 29 °C (82°F). and Brussels a peak of around 25 °C (77°F).

20 April, 2010, The Netherlands: A small tornado-like vortex stirs up dust over the farmlands in the southeastern Netherlands near the Germany border. Analysis of the storm indicates it was likely a cold air funnel.

21 April, 1968, Venlo, The Netherlands: The Netherlands' hottest April day on record: 32.2°C (90°F).

22 April, 1970, Seathwaite, Cumbria, United Kingdom: The UK's wettest April day on record; 182.1mm (7.2 inches) of rain falls at Seathwaite.

22 April, 2003, Southwestern North Atlantic Ocean: Tropical Storm Ana becomes the first Atlantic tropical storm (since records began in 1871) to form during the month April. Maximum sustained winds reached 80 km/hr (50 mph).

23 April, 2003, Northeastern India: A cyclone batteres India's remote northeastern Assam state, killing at least 36 people and injuring 1,500.

24 April, 2007, Thailand: Severe thunderstorms injure several people when coconuts fall from trees during a Buddhist monk's ordination party. According to this story from the UK Met Office, two people were killed by a tree that fell in the midst of a thunderstorm. As if that weren't bad enough, a number of people attending a were injured as the storm caused large numbers of coconuts to fall from the trees.

25 April, 1924, Pihani, India: A tornado demolishes three villages at Pihani in Indian district of Oudh killing "many people."

25 April, 2012, Halstead, England: Severe weather, possibly including a tornado, blowns down a farm building near Halstead, Essex, leaving 20 chickens dead.

25 April, 2011, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Heavy downpours totalling 274 mm (10.8 inches) flood the streets of Rio and paralyze the city, raising concerns about landslides in poor hillside communities. The deluge is over twice the amount of rain expected for the month.

26 April 1986, Kiev, Ukraine : The Chernobyl nuclear power station sufferes a massive explosion during the early morning hours sending a adioactive cloud of particles and gas carried westward and northwestward, contaminating large areas of Europe in the following week.

26 April 1989, Salturia and Manikganj, Bangladesh: Tornado rips through region killing 1,300 and injuring additional 12,000. 80,000 homeless.

26 April 1991, Bay of Bengal: 200,000 killed as cyclone and attendant flooding devastates the Bay of Bengal region of Bangladesh and India.

26 April 2011, Monterrey, Mexico: The mercury in metropolitan Monterrey hits 44.7 °C (112°F).at 4:10 pm, one of the highest temperatures ever recorded in the region.

27 April 1960, Uttaradit, Thailand: Hottest temperature ever recorded in Thailand, 44.5 °C (112°F).

27 April 2010, Omsk and Kyuchi, Siberia, Russia: Omsk reaches a summer like high of 30.0°C (86°F) while the town of Kyuchi, near the Kazakh border soars to 32.1°C (89.8°F).

28 April 1912, Santa Fe, Argentina: The worst flooding since 1573 begins in Argentina. Several days of heavy rainfall raises several major rivers in the area, including the Salado River as much as 508 mm (20 inches) in 12 hours. At least 23 people have been killed and over 45,000 people evacuated by early May. The flooding is so severe that Santa Fe is characterized as an island .

29 April 1912, Tuguegarao, Philippines: Highest temperature ever recorded in Oceania, 42.2 °C (108°F).

29 April 2012, Moscow, Russia: Moscow records its highest April temperature 28.6°C (83.5°F).

30 April 1054, Rosdalla, near Kilbeggan (Co. Westmeath), Ireland: The earliest tornado reported in Europe.

30 April 1888, Moradabad, India: Enormous hailstones kill 230 persons and many livestock.

30 April 1988, Coast between Wollongong and Sydney, Australia: 250 mm (9.8 inches) of rain in 24-hour period causes landslides and washes out road and rail tracks.

30 April 2010, Western Kenya: Torrential rains trigger landslides in western Kenya that kill at least 10 people. At Meru, reports indicate 95 mm (3.74 inches) fell in 24 hours.

Keith C. Heidorn's Art Gallery
My excursions into artistic expression.

The Weather Doctor's Diary ©2013 Keith C. Heidorn, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
Correspondence may be sent via email to: see@islandnet.com.

For More Weather Doctor articles, go to our Site Map.

NEW! Now Available in the US! And Now...The Weather by Keith C. Heidorn To Order in Canada: And Now...The Weather by Keith C. Heidorn	The BC Weather Book: From the Sunshine Coast to Storm Mountain by Keith C. Heidorn