So when will it warm up?

April's wide variety of weather can produce everything from dust devils, like the one last week at a ballpark in Lynchburg, Virgnia (shown above), to heavy snowfall, like the snowstorm this week in Newfoundland (below). In addition to the snow, heavy thunderstorms with large hail, flooding and tornadoes have been affecting the central US. Spring is not for the faint of heart, patience is required.

So when will it warm up? I am asked this question without fail several times a day. April can be a daunting month, as we desperately long for summer's warmth. This April has been no exception to the rule, as the cold and warm weather seem to play with us continuously, often in the same day. The month of April is arguably the most volatile month of the year. Deep winter cold often interacts with mid-summer heat, leaving most of us on a weather roller-coaster ride we never wanted to be on. Thunderstorms are just as likely as snowstorms in April. Montreal for example, has had a wide range in temperatures this year, from an overall maximum of 22C (72F) to a minimum of -10C (14F).

CBC Newfoundland 

Often the winter chill can win out, leaving southern Quebec and Ontario with cooler-than-normal weather. This has been the case here in Montreal. As the month draws to a close, the daily average high temperature has been near 9.1C (48F). This is well below the normal high of 11.6C (53F). Overnight lows have been very chilly, especially in the last week, the average this month was -1.3C (29F), while the normal should be plus 1.2C (34F). Overall, the monthly average sits at 3.9C (39F), well below the normal of 6.4C (44F). What makes it feel even colder is the fact that most of this past winter was so warm. Snowfall for April 2016 was 15cm; normally Montreal receives around 13cm.

So when will it warm up?  (There it is again!) Very soon. Montreal is still on track for a very warm summer. The long-range forecast is hinting at well-above-normal temperatures for Quebec and the Northeast US for July though August. In the short term, we have a few more cool days, as strong arctic high pressure controls our weather. Milder air will arrive by Sunday, along with an increase in clouds and some much-needed rainfall. The wet weather and warmer temperatures will continue into the first week of May.