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000
CXUS51 KBUF 022348
CLMBUF

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
748 PM EDT THU MAY 2 2013

...................................

...THE BUFFALO NY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2013...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1871 TO 2013

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH              94   04/28/1990
 LOW                5   04/01/1923
HIGHEST            82   04/18                         82  04/16
LOWEST             23   04/06                         28  04/29
AVG. MAXIMUM     56.4              55.0     1.4     54.4
AVG. MINIMUM     36.3              36.8    -0.5     36.0
MEAN             46.3              45.9     0.4     45.2
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32      0               0.5    -0.5        0
DAYS MIN <= 32      9               8.5     0.5        9
DAYS MIN <= 0       0               0.0     0.0        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         5.90   1961
 MINIMUM         0.59   1915
TOTALS           3.92              3.01    0.91     3.04
DAYS >= .01        12                                  9
DAYS >= .10         8                                  6
DAYS >= .50         3                                  2
DAYS >= 1.00        1                                  1
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    1.86   04/09 TO 04/10

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL           15.7   1885
TOTALS            0.3               2.7    -2.4      1.0
SINCE 7/1        58.8              94.4   -35.6
SNOWDEPTH AVG.      0                MM      MM        0
DAYS >= 1.0         0               0.8    -0.8        0
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH         T   04/01                          0  MM
 24 HR TOTAL      0.2   MM

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     552               576     -24      588
 SINCE 7/1       5858              6281    -423     5085
COOLING TOTAL       0                 3      -3        2
 SINCE 1/1          0                 3      -3       10
.....................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              11.9
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    38/220
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    56/210    DATE  04/19

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   52
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            1
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             17
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY         12

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     63

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              5     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                6     RAIN                       7
LIGHT RAIN               16     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       2
LIGHT SNOW                4     SLEET                      1
FOG                      12     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      2
HAZE                      3

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.

$$

...SPRINGTIME ARRIVES IN WESTERN NEW YORK...

APRIL 2013 SAW THE TRANSITION FROM WINTERTIME TO SPRING ACROSS
WESTERN NEW YORK WITH PLENTY OF UNSETTLED WEATHER AS A NUMBER OF
STORM SYSTEMS TRACKED ACROSS THE LOWER GREAT LAKES. AS A RESULT 3.92
INCHES OF PRECIPITATION FELL AT THE BUFFALO-NIAGARA INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL...NEARLY AN INCH ABOVE THE NORMAL
OF 3.01 INCHES. IN FACT A TRACE OR MORE OF PRECIPITATION WAS
RECORDED ON 22 OUT OF THE 30 DAYS IN APRIL.  THE LARGEST RAIN MAKER
WAS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT STALLED OUT ACROSS THE REGION DURING
THE SECOND WEEK OF THE MONTH. GREATER THAN A HALF INCH OF RAIN FELL
EACH DAY BETWEEN THE 9TH AND 12TH OF APRIL WITH A DAILY RECORD
RAINFALL OF 1.14 INCHES BEING SET ON THE 9TH. THIS PERIOD OF WET
WEATHER RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT RISES IN LOCAL CREEKS...THOUGH MOST
REMAINED BELOW FLOOD STAGE. THIS HELPED MAKE UP SOME OF MARCH`S
RAINFALL DEFICIT...HOWEVER BUFFALO AIRPORT IS STILL 1.02 INCHES
BELOW NORMAL ON THE YEAR SO FAR.

THE UNSETTLED WEATHER WAS ALSO REFLECTED IN THE TEMPERATURES DURING
THE MONTH AS A SERIES OF FRONTAL SYSTEMS MARCHED ACROSS THE LOWER
GREAT LAKES BRINGING ALTERNATING PERIODS OF ABOVE AND BELOW NORMAL
TEMPERATURES. THE HIGHLIGHT OF APRIL OCCURRED ON THE 18TH AND 19TH
OF THE MONTH. SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD A POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM TRACKING
FROM THE MIDWEST INTO THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES HELPED PUMP VERY WARM
AIR INTO WESTERN NEW YORK RESULTING IN A RECORD HIGH OF 82 DEGREES
ON APRIL 18TH. AS THE LOW TRACKED NORTH ACROSS CANADA...A STRONG
TRAILING COLD FRONT SWEPT ACROSS WESTERN NEW YORK. AFTER AN
EXCEPTIONALLY WARM START TO THE DAY WITH TEMPERATURES THAT QUICKLY
CLIMBED INTO THE LOWER 70S...TEMPERATURES RAPIDLY FELL INTO THE 40S
WITH SOME PORTIONS OF THE BUFFALO METRO DROPPING AS MUCH AS 20
DEGREES IN ONE HOUR. STRONG WINDS ALSO ACCOMPANIED THE FRONTAL
PASSAGE.

AFTER A SERIES OF FRONTS BROUGHT FLUCTUATING TEMPERATURES TO THE
REGION...THE MONTH OF APRIL ENDED ON A QUIET AND WARM NOTE AS HIGH
PRESSURE SETTLED IN ACROSS THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. THE WARM
STRETCH AT THE END OF THE MONTH HELPED TO PUSH THE OVERALL MEAN
TEMPERATURE FOR APRIL TO 46.4 DEGREES...0.5 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE.
THE WARMER TEMPERATURES ALSO AIDED IN LIMITING SNOWFALL ACROSS THE
AREA. THE OBSERVING SITE AT BUFFALO AIRPORT ONLY RECEIVED 0.3 INCHES
OF SNOW...2.4 INCHES BELOW NORMAL FOR APRIL. THIS BROUGHT THE
SEASONAL TOTAL TO 58.8 INCHES...A SOLID 35.0 INCHES BELOW NORMAL.
HOWEVER THIS STILL REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT OVER WHERE
WE WERE AT THE END OF APRIL IN 2012 WHEN WE HAD ONLY RECEIVED 36.7
INCHES AT THAT POINT IN THE 2012 SEASON.

REGARDING WINDS...THE AVERAGE WINDSPEED FOR APRIL WAS 11.9
MPH...CLOSE TO THE MEAN OF 12.1 MPH. SUNSHINE WAS NEAR NORMAL AS
WELL...WITH 52 PERCENT OF MAXIMUM POTENTIAL SUNSHINE MINUTES BEING
REALIZED. THE NORMAL IS 50 PERCENT. LAKE ERIE STARTED THE MONTH
FROZEN OVER...HOWEVER THE WATER TEMPERATURE HAD RISEN TO 44 DEGREES
BY THE END OF THE MONTH...ABOUT 5 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL VALUE FOR
THE END OF APRIL.

&&

WOOD