Solar eclipse drops temperature almost four degrees on April 8
By Carl Quintrell, weather correspondent
STANLEY — In a continuing warming trend, temperatures for the month of April were above average. The mean temperature for the month was 59 degrees. The 56-year average mean temperature for April is 55.3 degrees.
The average afternoon high temperature for the month was 68.9 degrees, or 2 degrees above the 56-year average high of 66.9 degrees. High temperatures for April climbed into the 80s on five days, the 70s on eight days, the 60s on 12 days, and only in the 50s on five days during the month. The high for the month was 89 degrees on April 29 .
On, Monday, April 8, there was a partial solar eclipse from 2:01 to 4:31 p.m. with the maximum 88.5 percent obscuration occurring at 3:18 p.m. The temperature was 72.3 degrees at 2:19 p.m., and dropped to 68.6 degrees at 3:29 p.m. After the eclipse, the temperature rebounded to 71 degrees at 5:04 p.m.
The average daily low temperature for the month was 49.2 degrees, or 5.6 degrees above the 56-year average low of 43.6 degrees. Low temperatures for the month were down into the 30s on six days, the 40s on eight days, the 50s on 13 days, and in the 60s on three days during the month. The low for the month was 33 degrees on April 22 .
The warmest April was recorded in 1974, where the average afternoon high temperature was 71.7 degrees. The coolest April on record was in 1987, where the average afternoon high temperature was 60.7 degrees.
Total rain for the month was 1.95 inches, or 1.09 inches below the April average of 3.04 inches. Measurable rain was recorded on nine days during the month. The April average is 10 days with rain. Total year-to-date rainfall is 11.44 inches, or 0.21 inch above average.
The wettest April on record was 2011, with 6.40 inches of rain. The driest occurred in 1985, with only 0.51 inches of rain recorded.
The peak wind gust for the month was 43 mph on April 4.
Records broken during the month of April:
- April 11 — maximum low temperature of 63 degrees; previous record of 60 degrees in 1978.
- April 14 — high temperature of 83 degrees; previous record of 82 degrees in 1974.
- April 15 — maximum low temperature of 66 degrees; previous record of 65 degrees in 1994.
Other statistics for the month include:
- 15 clear to partly cloudy days (18 avg.)
- 15 cloudy to mostly cloudy days (12 avg.)
- Six days with dew (seven avg.)
- Four days with frost (three avg.)
- Two days with fog (two avg.)
- One day with a thundershower (two avg.)
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