Dry March, Wet April

Quick March re-cap: Dry. Last month was the driest March on record, with only 0.8 inches of precipitation. The wettest March occurred in 1983, when 10.54 inches of wet stuff fell. A nice smooth distribution over the years don't you think?

The dry weather continued into the first couple of days this month, but April showers are inevitable. The clouds have already rolled in and showers are expected this afternoon. It may be a soggy afternoon at Shea today. Tonight, thundershowers and heavy rain are possible. All this rain is from the same system which brought severe weather to the midwest yesterday (if you were listening to WNYC this morning you may have heard lame sportswriter John Feinstein refer to this as "a hurricane" in Indianapolis). The showers continue into tomorrow, tomorrow night, and Wednesday. It will turn much cooler and the rain may mix with snow tomorrow night. It looks like we'll have a breather on Thursday, but we need this rain. Central Park was dusty yesterday!

Today is the start of Severe Weather Awareness Week. Over the last twenty years severe weather has killed 75 people in New York State and caused an estimated three-quarters of a billion dollars in property damage. The Weather Service rolls out Severe Weather Awareness Week with some definitions. Take away item: watches mean pay attention, warnings mean take action (hide or flee). The meteorology of severe thunderstorms is tomorrow's topic.