April 2010 ninth mildest in Winnipeg since 1872

Ideal spring weather prevailed over southern Manitoba in April with warm and dry conditions for most of the month. The big story was the dryness, with no measurable precipitation recorded between the 3rd and the 27th. A storm system at the end of the month brought over 25 mm of much needed rain to Winnipeg and southern Manitoba, as soil conditions were becoming very dry in the prolonged dry spell. The month actually ended up with slightly above average precipitation (36 mm vs 31 mm), but that statistic fails to represent the extreme dryness experienced in April. There were frequent sunny days with low humidity, making for ideal conditions for outdoor activities. Every day of the month was above normal except one which was just below. The sunny dry weather helped boost the monthly temperature average to 8.3C at the airport, over 4 degrees above the normal of +4.0C. This makes April 2010 the 9th mildest in Winnipeg since records began in 1872, just behind April 1906 at 8.4C. (April 1915 stands as Winnipeg's warmest April with a monthly mean of 9.5C.) The warm conditions this month were prevalent over much of the eastern Prairies, northern Plains and Great Lakes regions which enjoyed one of the warmest and driest Aprils on record. (see map)

Overall, an ideal spring month with some beneficial rain at the end..