Northeast Regional Climate Center

Climate Impacts - April 2002

Monthly Summary

April in the Northeast was 2.7 degrees warmer than normal, making it the 15th warmest April on record. All the states except Maine were more than 2.0 degrees above normal. Maine, at 39.9 degrees, was considerably cooler than any of the other eleven states. It's not unusual for Maine to be the coldest state in the Northeast, but this month it also had the smallest temperature departure - only 0.8 above normal. Maryland and West Virginia were both 3.6 degrees above normal, and New Jersey, Rhode Island and Connecticut were all 3.9 degrees warmer than usual. Delaware was warmer than all of those at 57.3 degrees (positive departure of 4.3 degrees), making it the 4th warmest April on record for that state. This was the second warmest April on record for Connecticut and Rhode Island and both were within one degree of setting a record. This was the warmest April in the Northeast since 1991.

The Northeast was 0.80 inches above normal for precipitation this April. The three southern New England states were on the dry side; Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The other nine states were wetter than usual, but only two were more than an inch above normal. One of those being Maine which recorded 4.47 inches, or 1.01 inches above normal. The other was West Virginia, the only state with an extreme positive departure. With 6.21 inches of precipitation, West Virginia recorded their second wettest April on record (the wettest being 7.11 inches on April of 1901). This April was 2.5 times as wet as April 2001.

Monthly Summary of State Temperature and Precipitation Averages.

New Weather Records

April 16-18 brought extremely high temperatures to the Northeast. Readings in the 90s were commonplace and records were broken in most major Northeast cities on the 16th and 17th. While some records were broken, others were completely shattered; Binghamton, Hartford, Bridgeport, Scranton, and Syracuse all surpassed their previous record by more than 10 degrees on the 16th. The following is a list of the max temperatures at major Northeastern cities during this time period and the daily records:

Max temperature and daily records for April 16-18, 2002

Days when record was not broken are shaded in gray.

April 16 April 17 April 18

Old Year of Old Year of Old Year of Records

Station 2002 Record Occur. 2002 Record Occur. 2002 Record Occur. began:

Albany, NY 89 88 1896 91 88 1976 87 90 1976 1826

Allentown, PA 89 81 1976 91 91 1976 87 93 1976 1911

Atlantic City, NJ 89 84 1976 94 88 1976 87 86 1964 1943

Baltimore, MD 90 88 1976 93 90 1976 89 94 1976 1870

Binghamton, NY 85 74 1976 86 83 1976 82 85 1896 1951

Boston, MA 73 82 1976 93 82 1976 56 94 1976 1872

Bridgeport, CT 85 73 1981 89 83 1976 85 84 1976 1948

Buffalo, NY 77 81 1982 75 80 1976 81 81 1976 1871

Burlington, VT 86 82 1896 90 82 1976 81 91 1976 1884

Caribou, ME 68 68 1958 54 62 1999 42 63 1987 1939

Central Park, NY 92 88 1896 96 91 1976 91 96 1976 1869

Charleston, WV 83 89 1994 85 89 1922 87 90 1976 1901

Concord, NH 88 83 1896 94 90 1976 89 92 1976 1871

Hartford, CT 90 79 1976 95 92 1976 92 95 1976 1904

Ithaca, NY 87 86 1896 88 83 1976 84 85 1976 1879

Mt. Washington, NH 55 46 1985 57 52 1976 51 56 1976 1948

Newark, NJ 92 82 1976 97 88 1976 93 93 1976 1929

Philadelphia, PA 90 88 1976 95 92 1976 90 94 1976 1870

Pittsburgh, PA 86 85 1896 85 87 1896 85 90 1896 1871

Portland, ME 59 78 1976 80 76 1976 50 76 1964 1947

Providence, RI 74 80 1976 93 93 1976 83 86 1976 1904

Rochester, NY 85 82 1982 85 82 1976 84 85 1976 1830

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA 88 77 2000 90 88 1976 86 92 1976 1955

Syracuse, NY 88 77 1982 89 86 1960 84 85 1976 1922

Trenton, NJ 90 82 1976 93 92 1976 88 93 1976 1931

Washington (Dulles), VA 91 87 1976 93 88 1976 89 90 1976 1962

Washington (Reagan), VA 92 91 1976 95 93 1976 91 95 1976 1871

Williamsport, PA 90 86 1896 91 91 1976 89 92 1976 1895

Wilmington, DE 89 92 1896 92 97 1896 87 97 1896 1894

Worcester, MA 84 80 1912 90 87 1976 86 88 1976 1892


Max temperature and daily records for April 16-18, 2002
Days when record was not broken are shaded in gray.

		April 16			April 17			April 18
		Old	Year of		Old	Year of		Old	Year of	Records
Station	2002	Record	Occur.	2002	Record	Occur.	2002	Record	Occur.	began:
Albany, NY	89	88	1896	91	88	1976	87	90	1976	1826
Allentown, PA	89	81	1976	91	91	1976	87	93	1976	1911
Atlantic City, NJ	89	84	1976	94	88	1976	87	86	1964	1943
Baltimore, MD	90	88	1976	93	90	1976	89	94	1976	1870
Binghamton, NY	85	74	1976	86	83	1976	82	85	1896	1951
Boston, MA	73	82	1976	93	82	1976	56	94	1976	1872
Bridgeport, CT	85	73	1981	89	83	1976	85	84	1976	1948
Buffalo, NY	77	81	1982	75	80	1976	81	81	1976	1871
Burlington, VT	86	82	1896	90	82	1976	81	91	1976	1884
Caribou, ME	68	68	1958	54	62	1999	42	63	1987	1939
Central Park, NY	92	88	1896	96	91	1976	91	96	1976	1869
Charleston, WV	83	89	1994	85	89	1922	87	90	1976	1901
Concord, NH	88	83	1896	94	90	1976	89	92	1976	1871
Hartford, CT	90	79	1976	95	92	1976	92	95	1976	1904
Ithaca, NY	87	86	1896	88	83	1976	84	85	1976	1879
Mt. Washington, NH	55	46	1985	57	52	1976	51	56	1976	1948
Newark, NJ	92	82	1976	97	88	1976	93	93	1976	1929
Philadelphia, PA	90	88	1976	95	92	1976	90	94	1976	1870
Pittsburgh, PA	86	85	1896	85	87	1896	85	90	1896	1871
Portland, ME	59	78	1976	80	76	1976	50	76	1964	1947
Providence, RI	74	80	1976	93	93	1976	83	86	1976	1904
Rochester, NY	85	82	1982	85	82	1976	84	85	1976	1830
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA	88	77	2000	90	88	1976	86	92	1976	1955
Syracuse, NY	88	77	1982	89	86	1960	84	85	1976	1922
Trenton, NJ	90	82	1976	93	92	1976	88	93	1976	1931
Washington (Dulles), VA	91	87	1976	93	88	1976	89	90	1976	1962
Washington (Reagan), VA	92	91	1976	95	93	1976	91	95	1976	1871
Williamsport, PA	90	86	1896	91	91	1976	89	92	1976	1895
Wilmington, DE	89	92	1896	92	97	1896	87	97	1896	1894
Worcester, MA	84	80	1912	90	87	1976	86	88	1976	1892