In April we really turn the corner away from the cold season and into the warm. As one sign, you'll now have a greater chance of hearing thunder than seeing snowflakes.

We begin the month today with 12 hours and 40 minutes of daylight, with the sun as high in the sky at noon as in mid-September. By April 30, we'll add another 75 minutes of daylight, and with the switch to Daylight Saving Time this month, the sun won't set until around 8pm. Temperatures above 80^oF are not unusual in April, and readings have actually reached 90^oF on occasion.

On the flip side, temperatures in the teens have been recorded as late as April 12, and at least some snow has been reported in about two-thirds of all Aprils - just two years ago, we had almost two inches on April 9. No wonder I often think of April, and spring in general, as the weather equivalent of "two steps forward, one step backward."