The Jersey Shore is no stranger to it
By Meteorologist Joe Martucci
April showers bring May flowers, as the saying goes. But what about April snow showers? Some April snow is common at the Jersey Shore, but don’t expect the plows to pass by the blooming cherry trees.
Snow is tough to love, especially the older you are. I visited a homeschool group at Lakewood Chapel in Mays Landing on March 26. When I asked who liked snow, most of the children raised their hands, with a few parents agreeing. But most of the parents didn’t like the snow.
With the arrival of spring, this story plays out often for me, too. April snow especially has a face only Mother Nature could love. (Let me know how you feel about April snow on my social media pages).
Personally, I love snow until St. Patrick’s Day. Then I’m done with it. However, I could make an exception for record-breaking April snow.
How often does the Jersey Shore have snow in April?
For inland parts of the shore counties, 15% of Aprils have had measurable snow, at least 0.1 inches of snow or greater. The most recent time this happened at Atlantic City International Airport was on April 9, 2016. Totals that day, reported via CoCoRaHS, were downright weird.
First, any measurable snow in April is uncommon. But this was a South Jersey snow special. Ocean City reported 3.2 inches of snow, while Estell Manor saw up to 2.9 inches of snow, according to the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist, while central and northern parts of the state barely had accumulation, even on grass.
The Sen. Frank S. Farley Marina in Atlantic City hasn’t kept snow records since 1956. However, looking at the short term, current data in Margate, and longer-term data in Lower Township suggests that measurable April snow in the beach towns has a 5-10% chance of occurring in a given year. For reference, the northern part of the Jersey Shore jumps up to around 20%.
This all being said, April flurries are common. You can go for a few years in a row with a few festive flakes floating in the spring sky.
Has it snowed enough to be plowable?
For the purposes of this question, we’ll assume that 2 inches of snow is plowable.
Since snow records at Atlantic City Airport began in 1945, there have been only six April days with at least 2 inches of snow or more. In Margate, there has only been one time since records started in 2000 when this has occurred.
Even in a cooler climate period, the Sen. Frank S. Farley Marina in Atlantic City only had three such days during their 1884-1956 snow record-keeping period. All records come from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In other words there has, and continues to be a less than 1% chance the snowplows will come around in any given April at the shore.
What year produced the most April snow?
Since measurable April snow is uncommon, and plowable snow is rare, the Aprils with the most snow are largely driven by one day of snow.
At ACY Airport, 1996 saw the most April snow – 5.7 inches of snow fell that year. However, all of that fell on April 9.
Margate’s highest April snow year was 2016 with 2.0 inches. Again, April 9 was the day when all of that fell at once. Another way to look at it is the April with the most days of accumulating snow.
ACY Airport saw two days of measurable snow in April 1956, 1959 and 1983. Lower Township had two days back in 1907. Meanwhile, Margate only had snow accumulate in April once – in 2016.
Biggest April snows
Here’s a look at the three biggest April snow totals up and down the Jersey Shore.
If you’ve lived in the shore counties your whole life, and are over the age of 14, you should at least remember the 2016 snow.
May snow?
The Jersey Shore never had measurable snow in May during its period of record. Non-accumulating flurries are uncommon, but not rare. I remember when flurries flew on Mother’s Day weekend back in 2020.
Hurricane season forecasts
On the completely opposite side of the weather spectrum, the first hurricane season forecasts will come out this month.
It kicks off on April 3 when Colorado State University releases its outlook for the season. Despite the state being landlocked, it was home to William Gray, widely considered the pioneer of this specialized weather field.
The Weather Channel typically releases its hurricane forecast during the first half of April. So, be on the lookout for that.
Then, the National Hurricane Center will release its forecast in late May. The Hurricane Center manages all tropical watches, warnings and storm-specific forecasts in the United States.
As we go deeper into spring, stay tuned for a few hurricane-related articles here at Shore Local.
Joe Martucci, a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist and Digital Meteorologist, is the President and Director of Meteorology for Cup A Joe Weather and Drone. You can connect with him at cupajoe.live.
