From the North Shore of Little Rock Lake

APRIL 2010 WEATHER & PHENOLOGY IN REVIEW

Jim Hovda Rice, MN. 56367-0265 jhovda.rice@jetup.net

April was a great month. We sported May weather for nearly all of the thirty days. Due to a fishing trip that kept me from writing this (it’s the 6^th of May) we are now having April weather in May. High temps in the low 50's, rain, and very gusty winds out of the west paint a good picture. Snow is forecast for parts of MN in the next day or so.

This brings on the issue of spring beauty. The colors of the flowers, new birds with their bright colors, the different shades and hues of green and yes, the different shades of browns displayed by the plants from last year. To really appreciate the fullness of natures colors, one must take the time to carefully observe them. Take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to take a short walk. Look at your gardens and the garden that nature provides. And, it’s not just the color. The sounds of the birds and other natures creatures sounding their best to attract a mate are all part of the picture. A picture of sight and sound. I’m sure that the little time spent observing nature will be rewarding.

April was again a no snow month. Listening to Professor Bob Weisman noted that it has been a lot of years since both March and April were no snow months. Now there is a possibility of snow for parts of MN on May 7^th or 8^th.

Nearly all the green growing things are about a month ahead of schedule. Spruce and other needled trees are already well into “candling” something usually occurring in May. The abundance of warm weather has produced the best blooming of the early spring flowers. Tulips this year, just magnificent! Crab Apple, Service Berry and Mountain Ash trees, best ever. The only downside of the month was that it was really dry. A lot of burning restrictions in Central MN.

WEATHER LAST APRIL: Colder by nearly ten degrees on both the high and low averages. The first two days of the month produced 8.3" of SNOW. Last year we ended the snow season with 59.7" of snow compared to only 30.2" this year. It was not until the 17^th of the month that the low temps made it to above 32 degrees. The coldest temp was a chilly 17.7 degrees on the 4^th. The 18^th saw the digital thermometer flash 73.7 degrees for our warm high. (There was a short warm-up mid-month.) On the 28^th the low temp was a warm jacket day at 27.3 degrees. Last year the ice did not go out of Little Rock Lake until the 15^th.

Tho not a weather issue, the Purple Martins returned on the 20^th with greater numbers showing up on the 28^th. None have returned so far this year.

WEATHER: Only twelve days saw our low temps make it below freezing. The low reading was 22.1 degrees above zero on the 9^th. Our high temps were all in the 60's and 70's except for two days late in the month.

It was, for the most part, a really dry month. With the exception of .03" on the 4^th (just over a trace) no meaningful rain until the 13^th when we received .91". It was the most rain for the month. We ended the month with only 1.85". According to the Minnesota Weatherguide Calendar the average precipitation is 2.31". One T-storm produced pea sized hail on the 30th. The amount of hail varied considerably from Royalton to Little Rock Lake.

WEATHER RECORDS: Local low and high temps varied no less than 99 degrees from -3 degrees below zero in 1975 to a blistering 96 degrees (F) in 1980. A bigger difference in greater MN was the 123 degrees from a low of -22 degrees below zero (F) in 1979 to the 101 degrees (F) in 1980. What a difference a year in Minnesota makes!

In 2001 we received no less than 8.42" of precipitation. Only three years ago we received 15.7" of snow for the month.

OTHER RECORDS: For some of you who had the opportunity to listen to grandparents tell stories of weathers death and destruction, the tornado that struck Sauk Rapids/Rice on the 14^th of April 1886 resulted in the most fatalities (72) from a single tornado. It was a devastating storm. The Benton County Historical Society has a lot of pictures that recorded this tragic event. There were several flooding records set in the Red River. This has, to this day, been the site of serious flooding.

PHENOLOGY: With all the warm weather, many of the green things got a good jump start. Surprisingly, there was no serious frost to impede their growth. On the 1^st Snow Glories were in bloom, I saw the first Bluebird in the yard on the 3^rd, the first Mourning Cloak butterfly on the 10^th, tulips in bloom on the 11^th the same day fifty pelicans found a temporary home on Little Rock Lake. Our first thunder storm occurred on the 13^th and I saw a painted turtle in the back waters of Little Rock Creek. A Cabbage butterfly made an appearance on the 15^th. Daffodils, more tulips, Grape Hyacinths and Jonquils produced a lot of spring color in the garden. On the 15^th, reacting to reports of hummingbirds on Jim Gilberts Nature Notes radio show I put out the feeder. As of the end of the month, none have made their appearance, nor have any orioles. On the 19^th a pair of Eastern Phoebe’s started nest building on top of my driveway light. By the end of the month they had left. I suppose something scared or made them uncomfortable. I’ll miss their cheery songs. The first White Throated Sparrow visited the feeder on the 23^rd. On the 26^th I spotted the first Red Admiral butterfly and on the 27^th I observed the first garden snake in the buffer strip next to the lake. This is the first snake I’ve seen in some years. When I was in the army we called snakes “no shoulders.”

Some odds and ends to report. Jeb Willis launched the first dock into Little Rock Lake on the 3^rd. This is the earliest dock launching I have on record. On the 16^th the barometer took the biggest jump 29.43 to 30.32 inHg. The lawn mower came out of storage and into operation on the 22^nd for the first lawn mowing.

RESIDENT OBSERVATIONS: A lot of them. Emil Williams with a three. On the 3^rd, a pair of Northern Flickers visited his yard, on the 12^th two flycatchers and on the 27^th a pair of Brown Thrashers visited his property. Jim Laumeyer reported seeing the first House Wrens on the 28^th. I finally received a detailed observation report from Dr. Ray Merritt. Lot’s and lot’s of wood ticks. Looks like a banner year for them. He goes on to report that every 7^th or 8^th a pair of phoebe’s arrive and start nest building. The phoebe’s have been at this task for the last 24 years. “They are a part of our family” Dr. Ray reports. It reminded me of the pair of phoebe’s that seem to have left our nest. I sure hope they return.

THINGS TO DO: If you live next to water, consider planting a buffer strip to protect the water from pollutants. The Little Rock Lake Association’s web site (http://www.littlerocklake.org) has a lot of information about this subject. It is well worth your time to review it. See ya’ next month.