April 2002 Pennsylvania Weather Summary

 

April saw a roller coaster of weather events across the state.   Parts of the state saw some snow near the beginning of the month and once again at the end of the month.  Temperatures all month were nowhere near normal.  They were either well above or below. 

 

The first few days of the month brought temperatures above normal with some showers.   Most of the rain fell in central and northern Pennsylvania.  These warm temperatures changed quickly as a cold front passed across the state late on April 2^nd and through April 3^rd.  Western Pennsylvania started receiving light snow on April 4^th while the rest of the state received traces of snow on April 5^th and 6^th.  Erie had accumulations of snow roughly near one inch on April 5^th.  Temperatures were near 12 degrees below normal during this time.  

 

The state began to warm up on April 8^th as a warm front began to move through the state from the south.  Parts of western Pennsylvania started to see some more rain.  Temperatures were well above normal till April 20^th.   At times, the temperatures were 25 degrees above normal.  Graterford, in southeast Pennsylvania, reached a high of 96 degrees on April 17^th.  A low-pressure system moved through the state between the 13^th through the 15^th bringing showers. 

 

A cold front crashed through the state on April 20^th.  By the 21^st, temperatures were below normal once again.  This front produced showers across the state until the 22^nd.  Erie received 0.02 inches of snow on the 22^nd.

 

A high pressure system moved in on April 23^rd and 24^th keeping the state dry.  The dryness did not last very long when a cold front passed through on April 25^th bring showers for the next few days.

 

On April 28^th a warm front came through quickly bringing the temperatures up slightly above normal but it was followed by another cold front immediately dropping temperatures on the 29^th and 30^th right back down below normal.  State College received a trace of snow on the 30^th. 

 

--- Brian Miller

 

 

April 2002 Extreme Weather Events