The Chemainus Valley experienced three seasons in April.
Pre-spring conditions (winter-spring transition) continued from March into the first five days of the month, followed by normal spring weather until April 23, then a four-day taste of summer before reverting back to spring conditions by the end of the month, according to Chemainus weather observer Chris Carss.
“Temperatures and sunshine were extremely variable, but averaged out to near normal values,” he added. “However, we had about twice our normal monthly rainfall. There was no snow last month, but April Fool’s Day brought a shot of ice pellets or small hail to at least some areas of the Valley.”
The mean daily maximum temperature for April was 13.4 degrees Celsius, about a half degree below the normal of 14.0 C, but the mean minimum was actually higher at 6.4 C than the normal of 5.6 C.
The extreme maximum of 23.0 C occurred on April 26, with the extreme minimum of 2.0 on April 2.
Days with mostly or partly sunny skies amounted to nine, one less than the normal of 10.
Of the 21 mostly cloudy days, 20 had precipitation. The normal number of precipitation days is 14.
Total rainfall was more than twice the normal of 74.9 millimetres, with 152.1 mm.
Early summer weather returned for much of the first half of May, Carss noted, with daytime highs often in the low 20s.
“A return to more normal spring weather with occasional showers and daytime highs in the mid-to-upper teens is expected for most of the second half of the month, with maybe a few brief flirtations with summer.”