It’s been a long winter for many parts of the country. In fact, many areas saw a much colder and wetter than normal winter.
[related article: Winter Outlook: How’d We Do?]
April can still be a “swing month”, when areas can experience spring-like warmth, but also can feature cold snaps and even snow. It all depends on where you live.
It’s not uncommon for some parts of the country to see snow into April or even later!
Looking at climatology (long term weather data and averages), here’s how some U.S. cities stack up by their average date of last snowfall.*
*last snowfall measured by .1″ or more* – all data from NOAA/NWS
Baltimore, MD – March 8
New York City – March 16
Boston, MA – March 27
Omaha, NE – March 28
Chicago, IL – March 31
Burlington, VT – April 5
Spokane, WA – April 8
Buffalo, NY – April 15
Minneapolis, MN – April 13
Salt Lake City, UT – April 17
Denver, CO – April 27
Utqiagvik, AK (Barrow) – June 21
Due to elevation and/or higher latitude, it’s not uncommon for Salt Lake City, Spokane, Minneapolis, or Denver to see snow into April.
One of the latest cities to see the end of snowfall is far north in Alaska. Utqiagvik (formerly known as Barrow) actually average snow each month of the year.
So if spring and summer aren’t your thing, you may consider planning your summer vacation to northern Alaska.