Virginia:

Arlington - " AFTER A RECORD WARM MARCH...TEMPERATURES THIS APRIL IN WASHINGTON DC RETURNED CLOSER TO SEASONABLE LEVELS BUT STILL AVERAGED ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE MONTH. APRIL 2012 WAS THE SIXTH CONSECUTIVE MONTH IN WASHINGTON WITH ABOVE- NORMAL TEMPERATURES. THE MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS 1.5F ABOVE NORMAL...WHICH WAS THE LOWEST DEPARTURE FROM THE MONTHLY NORMAL DURING THIS SIX-MONTH WARM PERIOD. HIGHS REACHED AT LEAST 80F ON THREE CALENDAR DAYS THIS APRIL... WHICH WAS THE LEAST NUMBER OF 80-DEGREE DAYS IN APRIL SINCE 2006. APRIL WAS THE FIRST MONTH SINCE JANUARY OF THIS YEAR WITH NO DAILY MAXIMUM OR HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS BROKEN. APRIL 2012 WAS THE SEVENTH APRIL IN WASHINGTON DC CLIMATE RECORDS WHERE THE TEMPERATURE DID NOT FALL BELOW 40F DURING THE ENTIRE MONTH. THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE MONTH /68.0F/ WAS NEARLY EQUAL TO THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE MONTH /68.2F/. APRIL 2012 WAS THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE MONTH OF BELOW-NORMAL RAINFALL. EIGHTY PERCENT OF THE APRIL RAINFALL OCCURRED WITH AN EAST COAST STORM SYSTEM THAT PRODUCED RAIN OVER A THREE-DAY PERIOD FROM THE 21ST-23RD. PRIOR TO THIS WET PERIOD...A MEAGER 0.21 INCH OF RAIN FELL DURING THE FIRST 20 DAYS OF THE MONTH...WHICH TIED 1871 FOR THE 2ND DRIEST APRIL 1-20 PERIOD ON RECORD. ONLY APRIL 1985 WAS DRIER...WHEN 0.03 INCH FELL DURING THE FIRST 20 DAYS OF THE MONTH. " - [ + - ] - Notes from NWS Sterling, VA

Bridgewater - Clayton adds these notes: " So far this year, there have been 7 thunderstorms, but none severe. I call the meek thunder "rumble thunder". A number of our thunderstorms have occurred at night, which is unusual. Most of this month's rain has occurred during the later part of the month. " - [ + - ]

Centreville - A final note from Paul: " The last half of the month seemed to step up the rain gauge tempo to help ensure our May flowers. I'll be moving away from sunny Centreville in a matter of weeks. I must say I'll miss being a contributor to the monthly ACON reports but I'm sure it won't be long before I find more trouble to get into. Best, Paul. " - [ + - ]

Chantilly - Russ sends these additional notes: " April kept this station's consecutive streak of warmer and drier than normal going, although nothing like the record warmth in March 2012. The mean monthly temperature was slightly above March at 55.4° (+1.6°). The mean high temperature was 67.1° (+1.2°) and the mean low temperature was 43.8° (+3.1°). We broke one record, with a record high low min temp on the 16th (59.8°). Precipitation was 1.31" below normal, and snow was 0.4" below normal. *Please note, anemometer is currently partially obstructed from the North and East " - [ + - ]

Dulles - from NWS Sterling (KLWX): " AFTER A RECORD WARM MARCH...TEMPERATURES IN APRIL RETURNED TO SEASONABLE LEVELS. THE MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR MARCH /54.3F/ WAS WARMER THAN THE MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR APRIL /54.0F/. THIS WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT MARCH WAS WARMER THAN APRIL. APRIL TEMPERATURES WERE SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL..ENDING A FIVE-MONTH STREAK OF ABOVE-NORMAL TEMPERATURES AT DULLES. APRIL 2012 WAS THE COOLEST APRIL AT DULLES SINCE 2007...WHEN THE MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS 52.2F. HIGHS REACHED AT LEAST 80F ON THREE CALENDAR DAYS THIS APRIL...WHICH WAS THE FEWEST NUMBER OF 80-DEGREE DAYS IN APRIL SINCE 2006. ONE DAILY HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD WAS BROKEN AT DULLES THIS APRIL. ON THE 16TH...61F BROKE THE PREVIOUS DAILY HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD OF 57F SET IN 2000...2002 AND 2003. ONE DAILY LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD AT DULLES WAS TIED THIS APRIL. ON THE 23RD...47F TIED THE DAILY LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD FIRST SET IN 1984. THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE MONTH /66.7F/ WAS SLIGHTLY WARMER THAN THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE MONTH /66.3F/. APRIL 2012 WAS THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE MONTH OF BELOW-NORMAL RAINFALL. TWO-THIRDS OF THE APRIL RAINFALL OCCURRED DURING A TWO-DAY PERIOD FROM THE 21ST-22ND IN ASSOCIATION WITH AN EAST COAST STORM SYSTEM. PRIOR TO THIS WET PERIOD...A MEAGER 0.41 INCH OF RAIN FELL DURING THE FIRST 20 DAYS OF THE MONTH. " - [ + - ]

Glen Allen - Lowell adds: " April was cooler than March by 2.5°F. The monthly mean temperature for April was 55.7°F. April was wetter than average and had a departure of +0.62 inches based on the average of the past 3 years. However there was no measurable rain for the first 17 days of the month. All of the precipitation for April fell in 12 days during the last half of the month. The maximum rainfall recorded in a day was 1.44 inches on the 22nd. Measurable precipitation occurred on only 8 days. The high temperature for April was 88°F on the 16th and there were 3 days that the temperature was 85°F or higher. The lowest minimum was 33°F recorded on the 12th and frost killed some of my neighbor's plants. There were four other mornings with very light scattered frost but no plants were harmed. The maximum wind gust was only 31 mph from the north that occurred on the 5th at 0023. The highest barometer recorded for the month was 30.30 inches on the 28th and that was the lowest maximum pressure recorded at this station for April. The lowest barometric pressure was 29.38 inches on the 23rd which is the highest minimum pressure recorded at this station for April. - [ - + ] "

Herndon - Randy sends these notes: " April was below normal for temperature and precipitation. The temperatures ranged between a high of 87 and a low of 31. We averaged 1.6 degrees below normal for the month and the temperatures were very similar, both average high and low, as March. On the precipitation side, the month was 1.56" below normal with only 1.93" measured. This is the fourth consecutive month of below average precipitation. We had scattered light periods of precipitation throughout the month; but the vast majority of the month's rain came on the 22nd with 1.01" recorded. We have now had just under 8" for the year, which is now 5.0" below normal for the year. " - [ - - ]

Richmond - from Member Lowell Koontz in Glen Allen, Virginia: " The airport (RIC) had 90°F which was the highest maximum temperature for April on the 16th and the daily mean temperature for the 16th of 76.5°F tied with 2002 for the highest mean for the date. The lowest minimum temperature at the airport was 36°F on the 24th and 25th and that tied for 2nd place. Only 1901 and 1929 had a higher April monthly minimum temperature. Their April mean temperature was 58.5°F which was a departure of +0.3°F and was the 42nd warmest April since 1880 although it was still the coolest April since 2007. For comparison, last year was the 7th warmest April with a mean temperature of 61.8°F and 2010 was the fourth warmest April since 1880 with a mean temperature of 62.2°F. Their precipitation total was 2.40 inches, which was a departure of -0.87 inches. April was the 40th driest April in the past 125 years. The greatest April precipitation in one day was 1.59 inches on the 22nd. This ranked as the 19th greatest daily precipitation in the past 125 Aprils. " - [ + - ]

Portsmouth - " April's average temperature (59.0°) was 0.3° BELOW NORMAL. Precipitation was BELOW NORMAL by 0.18" or 95% of normal relative to normal Aprils for the period from 1977 to 2011. Cold frontal passages occurred on the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 10th, 17th, 22nd, and 27th while warm frontal passages were recorded on the 26th and 30th. STATION RECORDS: 15th - TEMPERATURE TIED Maximum 85° [previous 2006], 22nd - RAINFALL 2.43" [previous 0.82" 1984], 24th - TEMPERATURE Minimum 39° [previous 40° 1982], 25th - TEMPERATURE Minimum 39° [previous 40° 1999] By the end of the month, the yearly average temperature was 52.1° and that was 3.9° ABOVE normal while rainfall for the year was 13.63" or 0.63" BELOW normal (96% of normal). " - [ - - ] 

North Carolina:

Greensboro - from NWS Raleigh RAH: " NO DAILY OR MONTHLY RECORDS WERE SET AT THE RALEIGH-DURHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL. HOWEVER...THIS IS THE FIRST TIME ON RECORD AT RDU THAT THE AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE FOR APRIL WAS LESS THAN IT WAS IN MARCH OF THE SAME YEAR. " - [ + - ]

Raleigh - Bob reports: " APRIL WEATHER CAN BE SUMMED UP IN ONE WORD-"NORMAL". THE AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE WAS NORMAL WHILE THE MONTHLY PRECIPITATION WAS ONLY 0.06" BELOW NORMAL. THE AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE FOR APRIL WAS ACTUALLY LOWER THAN THE AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE FOR LAST MONTH (MARCH). THE LAST FREEZING DAY OF THE SEASON OCCURRED ON APRIL 12TH WITH A LOW OF 31 DEGREES. THERE WAS NO SEVERE OBSERVED DURING APRIL. IN COMPARISON, ON APRIL 16, 2011, THERE WERE 30 TORNADOES IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN NC. " - [ -/+ - ]

Raleigh - from NWS Raleigh RAH: " NO DAILY OR MONTHLY RECORDS WERE SET AT THE RALEIGH-DURHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL. HOWEVER...THIS IS THE FIRST TIME ON RECORD AT RDU THAT THE AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE FOR APRIL WAS LESS THAN IT WAS IN MARCH OF THE SAME YEAR. " - [ - - ]

Nearby Locations:

Tri-Cities - from NWS MRX, Morristown, TN: " The monthly-averaged temperature at Tri-Cities in April was 58.0 degrees which was 2.8 degrees above normal. It tied with 2001 as the 21st warmest April on record. A record high temperature was tied on the 3rd when the temperature peaked at 82 degrees equaling the previous record set in 1986. The warmest April at Tri-Cities was in 1954 when the average temperature was 61.8 degrees. Tri-Cities received 3.83 inches of rain in April, which was 0.50 inches above normal. It ranked as the 23rd wettest April on record. Measurable precipitation occurred on 12 days and 5 of those days had more than one-quarter of an inch of precipitation. The heaviest precipitation fell on the 3rd when 1.33 inches of rain was reported, which also broke the daily rainfall record 1.18 inches set in 2000. The wettest April of the 74 years of observations taken at Tri-Cities was in 1998 when 7.03 inches of precipitation was recorded. " - [ + + ]