Weather Rewind, April 24-30, 2011

 Our first "80's wave" of the year brought us our warmest week to average so far in 2011 -- temperatures averaging 11.6 degrees above where we normally are in Philadelphia in late April as not only warmth but tropical-like humidity allowed the region, for a few days, skip April, May, June, and linger in July-like mugginess.   Temperatures were as warm as 85 on Monday and until Thursday's 79 degree high, the warmth was the first significant and lasting stretch of above average temperatures we have seen since last Fall.  

There were three severe weather periods this week but those severe weather events were not widespread.   The first was last Sunday as some thunderstorms went severe in Central Pennsylvania and in Maryland.   The second was on Wednesday with scattered tropical thunderstorms that popped up and moved through.  The third was with the cold front on Thursday.   Despite all three events, only 0.09" of rain fell at the Airport although in Wednesday's thunderstorm a quick inch of rain fell in parts of the city.

The warmth -- as we outlined earlier today -- was significant enough to help boost our overall monthly temperatures to the 9th warmest in April since 1872.   April's warmth was most common in the South and Southeast, with the Northwest holding on to chilly conditions.