Weather

April 2024 Saint Cloud Weather Summary

 

 

April 2024 St. Cloud Weather Summary

April Rainfall More Frequent and Continued Heavy

Quite a while ago, most of Minnesota suffered through a very dry May through September that produced drought conditions in much of Minnesota (compare April 30, 2024 to September 26, 2023 on the US Drought Monitor 2-week comparison). However, cold season heavy precipitation began in December (most December melted precipitation in St. Cloud records) and continued through the winter. In April, that wetness became heavier and more frequent.

6th Wettest April

The April total rainfall at the St. Cloud Regional Airport was 5.51 inches, far above the 2.61 inch April average. This ranks as St. Cloud's 6th wettest April out of 134 Aprils on record. That was also just 0.04 inch short of 1986, the 5th place April. The April rainfall was produced by a series of relatively slow-moving storms: 0.99 inch on April 7 and 8, 1.98 inch on April 16 and 17, and three storms dumping 2.42 inches total on April 26-30. St. Cloud didn't set any precipitation records, although the 1.71 inch on April 16 would have set a daily precipitation record had it occurred on any other of the first 20 days in April.

Statewide, central Minnesota from Little Falls through Mankato to the western fringe of the Twin Cities got more than 5 inches in April (red or dark red, more than 6 inches on the NWS Minnesota April rainfall map). The last period of rain finally involved portions of northern and western Minnesota that have missed much of the spring rains (see NWS Minnesota April rainfall map). These areas saw at least 1 inch (dark green) to 2 inches (yellow on the NWS Minnesota 7-day rainfall map). Still, drought conditions have remained about the same in the northern third of Minnesota (compare April 30 to March 26 on the US Drought Monitor 2-week comparison).

All of this rain is producing minor flooding along the Minnesota River near Morton. More significant rainfall would produce more problems, especially over the red area noted above.from the that central Minnesota from

The rainfall was a lot more frequent than the January through March precipitation. As noted in the table below, there were 12 April days with measurable precipitation, compared to 11 days (out of 91) in January through March. While few winter days had precipitation, there was a lot of precipitation on those days. The number of Jan-Mar days with heavier precipitation was nearly the same as in April (6 of 11 days with at least a quarter-inch).

St. Cloud Jan-Apr 2024 Precipitation Days
Days With April Jan-Mar
at least 0.01 inch 12 11
at least 0.10 inch 9 7
at least 0.25 inch 6 6
at least 0.50 inch 3 3
at least 1.00 inch 2 0

All Types of Precipitation in April, But Missed Severe Weather

The heavier April precipitation was produced by storms that were strong enough to tap Gulf of Mexico moisture. They also intensified close to Minnesota, so they moved slowly. Central Minnesota was able to receive showers and thunderstorms before and during the storm passing, and a lot of instability clouds behind each storm with showery weather. The precipitation was in all types with some snowflakes on 4 days. There were also snow pellets or graupel in the early morning of April 19 and a thunderstorm producing brief pea-sized and smaller hail near St. Cloud on April 23. However, Minnesota missed the major severe weather outbreaks that hit much of the central and southern Plains in April, often as close to us as Iowa or Nebraska.

Third Wettest December-April

The wet April pushed St. Cloud's December through April total to 11.77 inches, the third wettest December through April period in St. Cloud records. It was only 0.10 inch behind 2022-2023 (11.87 inches), and less than four-tenths behind 2000-2001 (12.16 inches). Note that this year's wetness is different from the other top 4 years. Those other seasons had a great deal of snowfall producing a good chunk of the precipitation. Both last year (1st) and 2013-2014 (tied for 6th) placed in the 10 heaviest snow seasons and 2000-2001 had above average snowfall (56.6 inches). Of the 4 wettest December through Mays, only this cold season has seen less snowfall (31.9 inches) than the average (47.9 inches).

Note also that these wet winter and early springs were mainly either since 2000 (5 of the top 10) or early in the record period (4 years before 1920, 3 of them in the 1890's).

April Warmth Not Quite as Newsworthy as Winter Months

April 2024 continued the warm trend in Minnesota, although it wasn't as extreme as during the winter months. The St. Cloud Regional Airport average April temperature was 47.4 degrees (high: 57.8 degrees; low: 37.0 degrees), 4.1 degrees above average. Unlike the December through March period (28 warm temperature records tied or broken), April had no records set. However, the April 13 high of 85 degrees would have set a record if not for the 86 degrees reached last April 13. On the other hand, the air masses between the wet periods carried dry air from central Canada. This produced an incredible 52 degree range on April 13 (see plot of April St. Cloud temperatures from MesoWest) with scattered frost. This frost as well as the sub-freezing temperatures on the 19th through the 21st ended up causing issues with plants that had produced early buds from the early season warmth. Still, the average date of the last frost is May 10.

Last 12 Months Set Another Warmth Record

The warm April completed 12 consecutive months of above average temperatures. Of those 12 month periods on record, 2023-2024 was the warmest with an average temperature of 49.1 degrees, beating 2011-2012 by 1.5 degrees.

The last months that were colder than average in St. Cloud were March and April of 2023, when we had abnormally high snow cover from the tail end of the record-setting cold season. Since a lot of the sun's energy is either reflected back to space by the snow cover or used to melt the snow, there is less heat available to warm the air.

During the May 2023 through April 2024 period, every month except July was at least three degrees above average. June did place in the top five, but the summer months (June through August), in general, were warm, but not as extreme (17th warmest) as some of the fall, winter, and spring months. Four of these months ranked in the 10 warmest, including December and February, both more than 14 degrees above average. That's because of the lack of snow cover, allowing more warming of the air.

The warmer than average temperatures, especially during the cold season, were expected since the Northern Plains and Rockies tend to have mild cold seasons during an El Nino year in the tropical Pacific. However, some of the warmth can be attributed to the very warm worldwide temperatures that have been occurring, especially the warm ocean temperatures. It is much harder to change the temperature of the water than the air (you know this by how long it takes to boil water), so the ocean warmth would tend to keep air temperatures milder. Since water temperatures remain very warm, this summer is likely to be quite hot in many areas.

Wild Variation Weather over the Last 12 Cold Seasons

I began to include this chart in my April summaries 4 years ago, noting the wild swings from year to year in snowfall. Now that we've gone from the snowiest season on record in 2022-2023 to a below average and very warm season this year, the contrast is still there. Among this cold season's warm markers are:

  • Fewest lows of freezing or colder (140, but more could happen in May)
  • Fewest highs of freezing or colder (43)
  • Fewest lows of zero or cold (10, tied with 2011-2012)
  • 5th fewest days with at least 1 inch of snow on ground (40)
  • 5th fewest consecutive days with at least 1 inch of snow on ground (21)
  • Earliest first 60-degree high (tie) and 70-degree high (new record)

In contrast, there have been colder than average Octobers through April with 2013-2014 the 5th coldest on record. Still, the warm seasons have placed in the top 10, while the cold ones mostly haven't. The swings in snow season have been more extreme with 4 of the 10 snowiest seasons during the past 12 cold seasons, but 5 below average years. Again, the snowy years have tended to place as the most extreme while the snowless years haven't (the closest to extreme was 2011-2012).

 

 

April 2024 Statistics

Temperatures (°F)
April 2024
Normal
Average High Temperature (°F)
57.8
54.3
Average Low Temperature (°F)
37.0
32.4
Mean Temperature for April (°F)
47.4
43.3
April Extremes
Temperature(°F)
Date
Warmest High Temperature for April 2024 (°F)
85
April 13
Coldest High Temperature for April 2024 (°F)
39
April 19
Warmest Low Temperature for April 2024 (°F)
48
April 27
Coldest Low Temperature for April 2024 (°F)

26

April 5
Record Temperatures in April 2024
Temperature(°F)
Date
Old Record
No Records Set
Temperature Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
April 2024 Days with High Temperatures =>90°F
0
0.04
April 2024 Days with High Temperatures <= 32°F
0
0.73

Cold-season 2023-2024 Days with High Temperatures <= 32°F

43 (lowest on record; old record 49 in 2011-2012)
87.7
April 2024 Days with Low Temperatures <= 32°F
6
15.7

Cold-season 2023-2024 Days with Low Temperatures <= 32°F

140 (shot at 143 least all-time)
170.4
April 2024 Days with Low Temperatures <= 0°F
0
0.0

Cold-season 2023-2024 Days with Low Temperatures <= 0°F

9
42.7
 
Liquid Equivalent Precipitation (in)
April 2024
Normal
April 2024 Precipitation (in)
2.61
December 2023-April 2024 Total Precipitation (in)
11.77 (3rd wettest, 0.10 inch short of 2022-2023)
6.49
April Extremes
Precipitation (in)
Date
Most Daily Precipitation in April 2024
1.71
April 16
Record Precipitation in April 2024
Rainfall (in)
Date
Old Record

No records set

Precipitation Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
April 2024 Days with Measurable (>= 0.01 inch) Precipitation
12
8.4
April 2024 Days with >= 0.10 inch Precipitation
9
4.9
April 2024 Days with >= 0.25 inch Precipitation
6
3.1
April 2024 Days with >= 0.50 inch Precipitation
3
1.5
April 2024 Days with >= 1.00 inch Precipitation
2
0.2
Complete list of Saint Cloud April Records
Link to 10 Wettest/Driest Aprils
   
Snowfall (in)
April 2024
Normal
April 2024 Snowfall (in)
Trace
4.7
31.9
47.9
April Extremes
Snowfall (in)
Date
Most Daily Snowfall in April 2024
Trace
April 7, 19, 20
Snowfall Thresholds
Number of Days
Average
April 2024 Days with Measurable (>= 0.1 inch) Snowfall
0
1.9
2023-2024 Cold Season Total Days with Measurable (>= 0.1 inch) Snowfall
21
31.8

April 2024 Days with >= 1.0 inch Snowfall

0
0.9
2023-2024 Cold Season Total Days with >= 1.0 inch Snowfall
9
14.0
April 2024 Days with >= 2.0 inch Snowfall
0
0.6
2023-2024 Cold Season Total Days with >= 2.0 inch Snowfall
6
7.6
April 2024 Days with >= 5.0 inch Snowfall
0
0.1
2023-2024 Cold Season Total Days with >= 5.0 inch Snowfall
1
1.4

 

 

 

 

 

St. Cloud 12-Month (May-Apr) Average Temperature
Rank Years Average Temperature (°F)
1 2023-2024 49.1
2 2011-2012 47.6
3 2015-2016 46.4
4 (tie) 1881-1882 46.1
4 (tie) 2016-2017 46.1
6 (tie) 1900-1901 45.9
6 (tie) 1930-1931 45.9
6 (tie) 2005-2006 45.9
9 1920-1921 45.8
10 1914-1915 45.6

 


St. Cloud Monthly Temperature and Rank 2023-2024
May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr Total  

April 2023

 

2023-2024
62.5
71.5
70.4
70.6
65.6 49.4 35.3 32.1 19.4 30.4 34.1 47.4
49.1
 
40.8
Rank Among Warmest 9th 5th 78th 23rd 3rd 31st 21st 1st 11th 1st 20th 28th 1st   28th coolest
Departure from 30-Year-Normals
(1991-2020)
+6.3
+5.5
+0.1
+2.9
+6.1
+3.7
+4.4
+14.3
+7.6
+14.3
+4.9
+4.1
+6.7
 
-3.5

 

 

 

 

 

St. Cloud First Spring Temperature Thresholds 2024
 

2024 (Temp)*

Median Latest Ever Latest 10% Earliest Ever Earliest 10%
First 50-degree high Jan 31 (55) March 13 April 26, 2013 April 6 Jan 5, 2012 Feb 16
First 60-degree high March 3 (70) April 4 April 26, 1947, 1965, and 2013 April 16 March 3, 2005, 2024 March 14
First 70-degree high March 3 (70) April 17 May 16, 1996 May 3 March 3, 2024 March 27
First 80-degree high April 13 (85); tied 11th earliest on record May 4 June 21, 1945 May 26 April 4, 1921 and 1929 April 13
*Select NOW Data, St. Cloud area, Daily for a month

 

St. Cloud December-May Melted Precipitation

average: 6.49 inches

Rank Years Melted Precipitation (in)
1 2000-2001 12.16
2 2022-2023 11.87
3 2023-2024 11.77
4 2013-2014 11.38
5 1895-1896 10.59
6 1896-1897 10.24
7 1893-1894 9.65
8 1950-1951 9.58
9 1953-1954 9.39
10 1949-1950 9.30

 

 

 

 

St. Cloud Winter Spring Statistics 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 2022-2023 2023-2024
Average October-April Temperature 35.3 (2nd warmest) 25.9 21.9 (5th coldest) 33.2 (3rd warmest) 32.5 (4th warmest) 25.3 28.2 27.8 29.4 (11th warmest) 27.2 27.7 35.4 (warmest)
Lows of freezing or colder (days) 151 (3rd fewest) 191(10th most) 173 143 (fewest) 150 (2nd fewest) 186 183 182 175 163 179 140 (could be fewest)
Lows of zero or colder (days) 10 (tied for fewest on record) 43 63 (8th most) 14 (4th fewest) 24 42 49 28 24 52 36 10 (tied for fewest on record)
Highs of freezing or colder (days) 49 (2nd fewest on record) 87 103 64 65 89 106 83 74 78 85 43 (fewest on record)
Highs of zero or colder (days) 0 2 15 2 3 5 5 2 8 3 4 2
Lows of -20 or colder (days) 0 0 14 0 1 2 7 0 5 5 0 0
Snowfall (inches) 27.4 78.5(4th snowiest) 75.5 (5th snowiest) 30.3 31.9 62.7 69.1 (8th snowiest) 47.4 45.2 49.5 88.2 (snowiest) 31.9
Days with at least one inch of snow on the ground 63 141 131 69 65 127 119 104 93 109 137 40 (5th fewest)
Consecutive days with at least 1 inch on ground 33 121 127 55 46 75 90 102 72 92 123 21 (tied 5th fewest)
Days with measurable snowfall 24 49 (tied for 6th most) 50 (5th most) 33 26 38 40 37 34 47 (10th most) 47 (10th most) 21
First 50-degree high Jan 5 (earliest) Apr 26 (latest) Mar 30 Mar 9 Feb 17 Apr 19 Mar 27 Mar 8 Mar 7 Mar 19 April 8 Jan 31
First 60-degree high Mar 11 Apr 26 (latest) Apr 6 Mar 10 Mar 5 (3rd earliest) Apr 22 Mar 27 Apr 2 Mar 9 Mar 21 April 11 March 3 (tied earliest)
First 70-degree high Mar 14 Apr 27 Apr 9 March 15 Apr 8 Apr 30 Apr 20 Apr 7 Apr 4 Apr 23 April 11 March 3 (earliest)
First 80-degree high Apr 13 (tied 11th earliest) May 14 May 24 Apr 14 May 5 Apr 30 May 30 May 25 Apr 5 (3rd earliest tie) May 9 April 13 (tied 11th earliest) April 13 (tied 11th earliest)

 

 

 Last Updated: May 3, 2024

 

Historic temperature data provided courtesy of the Saint Cloud National Weather Service Office, and NOAA/NWS
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Send comments to: raweisman@stcloudstate.edu