REMARKS 



April weather was unusual in many respects, being dry, warm 

 and sunny. The rainfall during the month was only .55 of an 

 inch. This is the least rainfall in Amherst for April since 1836. 

 Other dry Aprils were in 1844 and 1892 when .57 and .76 of an 

 inch respectively were recorded. The normal rainfall for April 

 is 3.35 inches. The total rainfall since January 1 is 5.98 inches 

 while the normal for this period is 13.85 inches. The most serious 

 results from the dry spell have been the disastrous forest fires 

 throughout the state. 



The mean temperature for the month was 52.1 degrees com- 

 pared to a normal of 45.7 degrees. This is the highest mean April 

 temperature in Amherst since 1837 except for the year 1839 when 

 a temperature of 52.2 degrees was recorded. The week beginning 

 April 14 was the most unusual period. A mean temperature of 65 

 degrees was recorded during that week. This has never been 

 equalled during April since 1889 and has been exceeded only three 

 times during the month of May. The highest temperature recorded 

 was 90 degrees on April 20. The heating load during the month 

 was 399 degree-days, the normal being 579 degree-days. The total 

 heating load during the season is now 6554 degree-days, compared 

 to a normal of 6498 degree-days for this period. There were 329 

 hours of bright sunshine, which is the highest number of hours 

 recorded in April. The normal is 220 hours. 



Dr. J. K. Shaw, Research Professor of Pomology, makes the 

 following comments: "Most fruit plants came through the winter 

 in good shape except raspberry canes which were badly killed back, 

 perhaps by the severe cold of December 10. Peach buds survived 

 the winter without excessive killing. March was cold with sub- 

 normal precipitation but in early April there came an excessively 

 warm period which caused rapid development of foliage and flower 

 buds. Colder weather followed, causing some injury to flower 

 buds of apples, killing many pistils. The extent of this injury 

 is not yet known but apple orchards in low frosty locations have 

 probably suffered severe damage. No serious injury to peach, 

 pear, and plum buds has been observed. Rarely has vegetation 

 been so far advanced at the end of April. There remains a 

 danger period of two or three weeks during which damage from 

 cold is very possible. April was very dry. Fruit plants have 

 not suffered yet but if heavy rains do not come in May, growth 

 will be severely checked." 



