Soggy start and hot finish Berks weather highlights for April
May 2—The weather in Berks County last month stands out for its soggy start and its summerlike finish.
Of the 4.44-inch monthly precipitation total at Reading Regional Airport, the official National Weather Service site in Berks, 3.43 fell through the 3rd, including 1.89 on the 3rd, a date record.
After that, obviously, about a inch of rain was recorded, but it was recorded over a total of 10 days, keeping the grounds at least somewhat moist through much of the month.
Berks weather historian Jeffrey R. Stoudt added: The final total of 4.44 inches, 1.09 above normal, was well short of the 10th wettest April of 6.27 from 1973.
Temperature-wise, April had the first 80- and 90-degree days of 2024.
The late month warmup featured highs at the airport of 81, 90 and 87, respectively, to close the month. The 90 was a date record.
It bettered 88 from 1970. That previous record for April 29 was low-hanging fruit since it was the last date in the second half of April that didn't have at least 90 degrees as a date record.
Stoudt noted there is a section of temperature data available from the late 1880s that shows 91 degrees on April 29, 1888. That data is not a part of the official unbroken record that begins in 1898 by the luck of the draw of the documents that survived.
In Philadelphia, 1888 is a part of the official records and a 90 on April 29, 1888, is the record and it was just equaled at Philadelphia International Airport a few days ago.
Stoudt added about the Reading temperature database: "The 90 on the 29th was the first 90 in April since 90 on April 16, 2012. Therefore, to reach 90 in April had become overdue."
Looking deeper into the temperatures last month, the lowest temperature was 35 on the 8th.
"During most years, winter's last hurrah would occur during early April with at least one day with a high of low 40s or cooler and some wet snow," Stoudt said. "And the lack of early April cold contributed to this April being significantly warmer than average."
The last official freezing temperature for spring is likely to be 31 degrees on March 25.
Stoudt checked the records and learned that the most recent years with a last freeze before April were 26 degrees on March 30, 2011, and 27 degrees on March 27, 2010.
Looking back at the all-time records over 126 years on this matter of earliest last freezing temperature in a spring, the mild midcentury comes into play.
The most recent year with a last official freeze on or prior to March 25 was March 21, 1953, with a 32-degree reading. The earliest last official freeze occurred in 1945 with 32 degrees on March 9.
March was the eighth warmest March on record, and there are five Marches since 2010 on the 10-warmest list but March 1945 remains well warmer than the rest of the pack.
The final April average temperature of 55.3 degrees, 2.8 above normal, came short of the 10th warmest April of 55.8 from 1942 and far short of the warmest of 58.4 from 1941 in the mild midcentury.
April 2023 placed fifth warmest at 56.7.
April weather
55.3 degrees: Temperature
52.5 degrees: Normal
4.44 inches: Precipitation
3.35 inches: Normal
Zero: Snowfall (Season: 17.8 inches)
Records
Precipitation: 1.89 inches on the 3rd (1.69, 1982)
High temperature: 90 degrees on the 29th (88, 1970)
Source: National Weather Service
Berks Area Rainfall Networks April rainfall totals in inches:
—Auburn, 5.52
—Topton, 5.25
—Wernersville, 5.25
—Mohnton, 5.10
—Shartlesville, 5.08
—Lincoln Park, 4.92
—Henningsville, 4.91
—Hamburg, 4.81
—Cornwall Terrace, 4.89
—Oley Furnace, 4.89
—Mohrsville, 4.88
—Elverson NE, 4.83
—Reading E, 4.77
—Shillington, 4.77
—New Morgan, 4.72
—Mohrsville SW, 4.70
—Bernville, 4.68
—Oley, 4.63
—Womelsdorf, 4.62
—Wyomissing 4.62
—Douglassville 4.60
—Dryville, 4.55
—Knauers, 4.54
—Greenfields, 4.51
—Frystown, 4.38
—West Reading, 4.38
—Birdsboro, 4.33
—Cumru Township building, 4.32
—Morgantown, 4.29
—Plowville, 4.20
—Reiffton, 4.08
—Lobachsville, 4.05
