What are the Chances that it will Snow in April?

April showers are supposed to bring May Flowers, but what about April SNOW showers? Yeah, it's possible.

Since 1895, there's only been 31 years where is has NOT snowed in the month of April in Waterloo.

However, the NWS Climate Prediction Center says that April will begin with a warm up:

Above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation are generally favored across the Lower 48 states during the first week of April.

The normal high temperature in Waterloo on April 1 is 54* and by April 30, the normal high increases to 67*.

In 2020, we were lucky enough in the Cedar Valley to have THREE days hit 80* or higher. (It reached 81* on 4/22 and 4/27)

The coldest HIGH temp in April 2020 was a chilly 38* on 4/14.

11 days featured low temps below the freezing point of 32*, the coldest being 19* on 4/15 and 4/16.

If April Showers Bring May Flowers, that certainly wasn’t the case last year. Waterloo only saw 1.26” of rain, less than half of what usually falls in April. (Normal is 3.71”) It also snow six times last April, the most occurring on 4/12 when .3” fell.

Waterloo averages just under two inches of snow every April, but on April 7, 2003, Waterloo received 6.9" of snow --- the most for a single day in the month of April for the city.

On April 9, 1973, during the "April Blizzard of 1973," Waterloo had 6.2" of snow, while other areas saw MUCH more; including 20.3" in Belle Plaine, 19.2" in Dubuque, 16" in New Hampton.

In April 2018, Waterloo had a total of 12.1" of snow for the entire month of April.

Let's not dwell on a spring snowstorm, instead think about warmer days ahead!