April is No Stranger to Big Winter Storms

Jonathan Belles

Published: April 2, 2021

April can be a crazy time for weather with spring tornado activity picking up, temperatures in constant flux and, oh yes, the end of winter storm season.

Heavy snow is still common in parts of the Rockies, Upper Midwest and parts of the Northeast as we move into the second month of meteorological spring. Snow can fall as far south as El Paso, Texas, or Asheville, North Carolina.

And occasionally, the atmosphere spawns extreme winter storms into April and even May.

Here's a look back at a few of these winter storms:

Wesley, 2019

Winter Storm Wesley brought a blizzard to the Plains, more than two feet of snow to the Dakotas, an ice storm to parts of several Midwestern states and even a dust storm to the southern Plains.

The heavy snow broke several snowfall records and the storm produced blizzard conditions in South Dakota. Thunder was even reported in Watertown, South Dakota, during the blizzard. Thunder and strong winds were reported across the Midwest.

(MORE: Winter Storm Wesley Recap)

Xanto, 2018

Winter Storm Xanto brought the heaviest snowstorm on record to parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin, and blizzard or near-blizzard conditions occurred from eastern Colorado to southwestern Minnesota.

Green Bay picked up its heaviest April snowfall and experienced blizzard conditions.

Xanto officially brought 15.8 inches of snow to Minneapolis/St. Paul in mid-April 2018, making it the heaviest April snowstorm on record there.

The storm also brought strong winds, Great Lakes coastal flooding and up to an inch of ice to western and northern New York.

(MORE: Winter Storm Xanto Recap)

April Winter Storm, 2006

Snow in Lead, South Dakota, during March and April is nothing unusual. The city averages 35 inches and 34 inches of snow in March and April, respectively.

However, from April 18-20, 2006, Lead saw an astonishing amount of snow even for its standards. The storm total for the three days was measured at 74 inches, or just over 6 feet. This included an April 24-hour record of 44.5 inches April 18-19.

Snow drifts around buildings in the northern Black Hills after the April 18 to April 20, 2006, snowstorm.

Lead wasn't alone in this heavy spring snow event. Deadwood, South Dakota, saw 52.4 inches and Galena, South Dakota, picked up 50 inches.

April Fool's Day Blizzard, 1997

The forecast for a major snowstorm on April Fool's Day in 1997 was no joke.

Heavy snow buried locations from southern and central New England to the Catskills of New York and the Poconos of northeast Pennsylvania on March 31-April 1, 1997.

Boston saw 25.4 inches of snow in 24 hours, ranking as the fourth heaviest snowstorm on record in the city. The day before the storm, temperatures were in the 60s.

Satellite image of the April Fool's Day, 1997, blizzard.

Farther west, Worcester, Massachusetts, saw its heaviest snowstorm on record dating back to 1892 with 33 inches. To the south, Providence, Rhode Island, picked up 18 inches.

A few spots, including East Jewitt, New York, and Milford, Massachusetts, had to dig out from storm totals of 3 feet.

The combination of the heavy, wet snow and strong winds caused major damage to trees and powerlines. More than 750,000 customers lost power.

April Blizzard, 1982

As is often the case in April, the smell and feel of spring were in the air across the Northeast as the month began.

But this was about to become a distant memory as freezing temperatures, blizzard conditions and postponed baseball games became the story as a double-barreled low-pressure system cranked across the Northeast.

More than a foot of snow fell from the southern Hudson Valley to Maine as winds gusted up to 60 mph. Cities were paralyzed as these conditions arrived in the region.

Snowfall footprint of the April Blizzard of 1982.

The storm was also a major coastal hazard, whipping up waves dozens of feet high and pushing the ocean inland.

This storm was a benchmark for the region for years to come.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.