Why April seemed so cold, when it actually wasn't

It's May 1 and it seems like we've put a cold and wet April behind us.

But while April was very wet, it was actually 0.1 C above average for temperature, as measured at Charlottetown Airport, coming in at 3.2C. That includes daytime highs and nighttime lows.

CBC meteorologist Jay Scotland said it can be difficult to gauge temperatures from your memory in the spring and fall.

"When it comes to the shoulder seasons an average day is oftentimes a rarity, as that seasonal temperature is comprised of many warm and cold days observed over the last 30 years," said Scotland.

"This April is a good example of that. For the first half of the month we enjoyed a number of warmer than normal days followed by much cooler weather over the last week or so. In the end it all evened out."

In the first half of the month there were eight days with daytime highs above average. In the second half of the month that trend reversed, with eight days below average. Those above average days early in the month are not so clear in our memories now.

But if it seemed wet to you there's no mistake in that.

Average precipitation in April is 83.7 mm. This year we saw 153.4 mm, 83 per cent above average. That included three days where more than 20 mm of rain fell, but thankfully a little less snow than normal.

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