April Snow...Par For the Course?

With a snowstorm in the Rockies and northern Plains ahead, you may wonder, "How unusual is snow in April?"

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Of course, in the highest peaks of the Cascades, Rockies, and Sierra, heavy, wet snow deep into spring is par for the course. However, wet snow can make a mess of any day in spring in lower elevations, as well. In some locations, May snow is average!

Average monthly snowfall in Denver, Colo. (Data credit: NOAA/NCDC)

Harnessing the advantage of 5280' elevation, April (5.6") and May (0.7") snow are "the norm" in Denver, at least according to 30-year averages from 1981-2010.

At least five April calendar days have tallied over a foot of snow. Dating to 1874, there have been 10 calendar days in May of at least 6 inches of snowfall in the "Mile High City".

Still not impressed? Measurable snow once fell in Denver on June 12, 1947, three days before Father's Day. So much for the round of golf!

Rapid City, S.D. is no spring snow slouch, either. On May 2, 2008, they picked up 11 inches of snow. The Black Hills of South Dakota are known for piling up feet of snow in spring blizzards. The May 2008 blizzard dumped up to 4 feet of snow, there.

What's an Arizona city doing in this article? Flagstaff sees its share of spring snow, as well, thanks in part to its elevation of 6910', over 1600' higher than Denver. Just two years ago, Flagstaff picked up 13.2" of snow in one day (Apr. 9, 2011). They've even picked up 0.5" of snow on June 8, 1907! Imagine seeing that on your drive to the Grand Canyon.

What about elsewhere in the country?

Is April Snow Unusual Elsewhere in the U.S.?

In late April 2012, a storm we dubbed "Snowpril" dumped up to two feet of snow in parts of the interior Northeast.

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Indeed, some citiesin the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeast pick up April, even May snowfall, in some years.

Perhaps the poster-child for spring snow in these areas is Marquette, Mich.

Yes, over a foot of April snow is "the norm", there. On May 9-10, 1990, an incredible 22.4" of snow buried the city, obliterating the city's previous May snowfall record. High winds downed power lines and heavily damaged trees.

Slushy snow has also accumulated in Syracuse, N.Y. into May. Seven May calendar days have seen at least 1" of snow, there, in records dating to 1902. Most recently, a 2.1" snowfall was measured on May 12, 1996, Mother's Day.

April snowfall is also considered "average" in these cities:

Burlington, Vt.: 4.6"Cleveland: 3.3"Fargo, N.D.: 3.3"Mpls./St. Paul: 2.8"Detroit: 1.7"Pittsburgh: 1.5"Chicago: 1.2"

Some food for thought if you look forward to putting your snowthrowers and shovels in storage.

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New Haven, Conn.

A neighborhood near New Haven, Conn., is buried in snow in the aftermath of a storm that hit Connecticut and much of New England. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)