Summer-like heat in April?
By Jared Shelton News-Press NOW meteorologist
April started off with a bang across Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas.
The second tornado watch of the season was issued on April 1 amid a rapidly developing severe weather threat, followed up with a half hour of unforecast heavy wet snowflakes the morning of April 2. Neither event led to meaningful impacts, but the swing from one extreme to the other was a prime example of turbulent spring weather here in the heartland.
Since then, the month of April has proven to be more tame and even seasonable when it comes to local weather. For the last 10 days, temperatures here in St. Joseph have run in the “normal range,” with most afternoons warming to the 60s and most nights cooling to the upper 30s and low 40s. Per usual, a scattering of frost and freeze warnings have also been issued through the course of this month, warning early-season gardeners of potentially damaging frost brought on by a handful of late nights and early mornings that teetered near the freezing mark.
Subfreezing temperatures will be a distant memory for most this weekend, as the pendulum swings toward more of a summer sizzle. A robust ridge of high pressure will build into the central plains Friday and Saturday, promoting sunny skies and unseasonably warm conditions. Gusty southerly winds are also forecast to develop through the weekend, further intensifying the surge of warmth. By Sunday, the mercury is expected to climb into the upper 80s here in St. Joseph, with low 90s not out of the question.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that upper 80s and low 90s are quite warm for April in this part of the country. The past 100 years of temperature data at St. Joseph’s Rosecrans Memorial Airport brings the anomaly into perspective. Our first 90-degree day has an average arrival date in mid-May, making this weekend’s heat nearly a month ahead of schedule. Even more impressive, the average high for mid-April is 65 degrees.
In terms of records, the number to beat this Sunday is 92 degrees here in St. Joseph, a record set in 2006. The current forecast brings Sunday’s high just shy of the record mark, one that hopefully stands, as higher temperatures tend to exacerbate drought conditions and short-term pollen production with progression into the spring season.
