ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Transitions are hard. You can use that phrase to define a lot of things. In this case, we are using it to define the transition from winter to summer.

March

Wild swings in temperatures are a benchmark of March. You know the old saying “In like a lamb, out like a lion?” That is March, in a nutshell, be ready for anything. You expect March to be all springtime and flowers and sunny days, but that is never the case. Snow, wind, rain, thunderstorms, more rain and cold are all part of every March.

After a mild December, we’ve had two months with below normal temperatures to this point. I think this March will be back on the warmer side of normal. March will be a wet month with a chance of early-in-the-month snow. Any of the spring months could see severe weather, and we will have the risk of a few strong storm systems too. 

March of 2021 was wet with above-normal rain and some strong thunderstorms. I think this year we will have a wet month, with a few thunderstorm chances, and a chance of snow.  March 2021 was warmer than normal, and I think that trend will continue in 2022.

April

April is always a hard month to predict. Average high temperatures warm from the lower 60s at the start of the month, to the lower 70s at the end of the month. And you know the old line “April showers bring May flowers.” Yes, it can be a wet month.

I think this April is going to be a wet one with above-normal rainfall. Easter is on the 17th and we’ve had snow on Easter. But this year, since it will be warmer than normal in April, a snow chance this month is a long shot. 

April 2021 was a little cooler than normal and a little wetter than normal. I think this April 2022 will keep with the wetter than a normal theme, but also be warmer than normal.

May

I have a friend who sells pools. He always asks me “what are the chances of hitting 90 this May.” His theory, if it gets warm early in the month, he will sell more pools.

Last year, our May was cool and we did not hit 90 in 2021 until almost the second week of June. In fact, May of 2020 didn’t have a 90-degree reading. 2019 was the last May we hit 90. But I think this year, warm air will rule. So there is a better chance of a 90 or higher this year.

I think this May will also trend wetter than normal continuing on the wet theme from April, and building on the information from Angela’s visit from the National Weather Service. Sounds like the rivers will be able to handle the extra water. 

So to compare the years: May 2021 was cooler than normal. This year, we will be warmer. But that warmer trend will bring more rain. 2021 was drier than normal by almost 2 inches. 2022 will be different, more rain, and maybe more thunderstorms. 

Last Spring we didn’t have much severe weather, but I think the combination of a shifting global pattern and a warmer push in temps this year will bring more active weather. Bottom line: more storms.