Windy April Looks To Be Harbinger of Things To Come

(KNSI) – A change is in the air, and the proof is blowing in the wind.

April is usually the windiest month of the year, and a typical day sees winds of about 10 miles per hour. Meteorologist Melissa Dye says 14 days saw above-average sustained winds at 15 miles an hour on at least one occasion. Dye says its caused by fluctuating temperatures. “Just with the springtime, we’ve got those big spreads in temperatures from daily highs to overnight lows. Looking back at April, [it] looks like the biggest temperature swing that St. Cloud had was on April 13th when they got up to 85 degrees in the afternoon but started out the day at about 33 degrees.”

While April showers bring May flowers, rain, gusts, and unsettled weather are expected to continue for the next couple of months. Dye explains this year’s transition from winter to summer is even more turbulent than normal because a strong El Niño pattern has ended. “Historically, looking back when we’ve gone from a really strong El Niño back into a La Niña pattern, which is what we had had the previous three years, we tend to have a little bit more active weather as far as precipitation goes.”

El Niño was the primary culprit in our historically mild winter but also contributed to the scorching, drought-impacted summer of 2023.

Dye says the 90-day forecast signals slightly above-average temperatures into July. Models expect normal precipitation. St. Cloud typically sees the most rain in June, July, and August.

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