April 2012 Revisited

Here's April 2012, sorted into 3 easy categories, all relating, oddly enough, to Hood River historical averages:

Above average: Temperature
Average or near: Rainfall, wind speed
Below Average: Solar radiation
 
My station's average temperature of 51.7° was warmer than the long term April average of 49.8°, and warmer than the more recent (2001-2011) average of 49.2°. The official average temperature in Hood River, recorded at HOXO, was 51.0°.

The maximum temperature (at my station) in April was 86°, and the low temp was 28°. Official Hood River highs and lows (at HOXO) were 87° and 28°. The high heat index for the month was 84°, and the low wind chill was 28°.

Solar radiation averaged 412 Ly/day, compared to an average April solar radiation of 438 Ly/day.The heavy rains of March dropped back to normal amounts in April. I had 1.94" at my station, and HOXO officially recorded 1.40", compared to an average of 1.66". The official high rain day was 0.26" on the 15th, while my station recorded 0.36" on the next day. It must have happened right around midnight, to show up on two separate days. Or something.

The 24 hour average wind speed at my weather station was 2.8 mph, compared to an average April wind speed of 3.1 mph. The peak wind gust was 37 mph on the 1st. Wind speeds at other less sheltered locations, such as the Columbia River, were, of course, higher.Barometric pressure peaked at 30.47" on the 2nd. Low barometric was 29.34" on the 11th.

There was one local weather record set this month. On the 23rd, the high temperature reached 87°, breaking the old record of 81° in 1977. This was the middle of a 3 day heat wave, the first one of the year.

These monthly summaries use data from my weather station located near May and Rand Streets in Hood River. To view my weather station's data for April 2012, click here.For official Hood River data, and historical averages/records, the data comes from both the manually read NOAA station at MCAREC, and HOXO, the automated station located right next to MCAREC.

April arrives, and dreams do really come true.  Iz lives on...maybe we all do?  What a wonderful world...  :)