Spring into April

Posted by author Paul Yeager

 

As we head into April, the weather adage that most of us immediately think of is “April showers bring May flowers,” which is a fairly light, happy thought—too light if you ask me.

 

April is certainly not an innocent, spring month.

 

From 1950 through 2004, nearly 6,000 tornadoes occurred in the United States in April—about twice the number in March. Only May and June have had more tornadoes. In terms of deaths caused by tornadoes, April is the leader, with an average of 27 tornado deaths per month.  

 

One of the worst tornado outbreaks in history occurred in early April 1974. Warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico was pulled northward in advance of a strong spring cold front, one that was accompanied by much cooler, less humid air. The result was 148 tornadoes in a 24-hour span, including many large tornadoes that remained on the ground for a long time. The bulk of the tornadoes occurred from Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio southward to Alabama and Georgia, but a few tornadoes occurred in areas outside of this region.

 

It’s estimated that 330 people were killed, over 5,000 people were injured, damage reached $600 million, and over 28,000 families were affected by the tornadoes.

 

Fortunately, such devastating tornado outbreaks are rare, and that’s part of our reason for a lighter, happier perception of April. In most years, April weather is an improvement over March. We might have to deal with some leftover cold, rain (snow in the Rockies), or thunderstorms, but after a long winter (especially this winter!), it’s a step in the right direction. March, on the other hand, is often one step forward and two steps back, frustrating winter-weary residents.

 

So my advice is to enjoy April weather, but be aware of the potential danger.

 

Paul Yeager is the author of Weather Whys and Literally, the Best Language Book Ever.

 

 

Weather Whys

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Literally, the Best Language Book Ever