REMARKS 



The weather during April was dry and shghtly cooler than normal. 

 The precipitation during the month was only 2.16 inches, normal 

 for April being 3.35 inches. The snow fall during the month was 

 1.50 inches, the normal snowfall for April being 2.17 inches. 



The mean temperature during April was 45.0 degrees. This is only 

 half a degree higher than the mean during March this year. The 

 normal mean temperature for April is 45.7 degrees. The lowest 

 temperature was 19 degrees on the 1st. The domestic heating load 

 for the month was 602 degree-days compared to a normal of 579 

 degree-days. The heating load for the season is 6377, the normal 

 to the end of April being 6511 degree-days. 



There were 228 hours of bright sunshine which is 8 hours more 

 than normal. Mean relative humidity was 64.6 percent, the normal 

 being 61.6 percent. 



Dr. J. K. Shaw makes the following report on the progress of vege- 

 tation: 



"While March 1946 was very similar to March 1945, the month of 

 April 1946 was distinctly cooler than April 1945. As a result, vege- 

 tation advanced very slowly. At the end of the month most apple 

 varieties were in the pink stage of bloom and will be in full bloom 

 with two or three warm days, probably about two weeks ahead of 

 normal instead of three weeks or more as last year. On the morning 

 of April 1 there was considerable cold injury to fruit buds. In our 

 orchards no serious crop damage occurred. In other orchards about 

 the state, there was more injury. Possibly some low lying orchards 

 suffered enough to reduce or ruin the crop, but it seems very un- 

 likely that the crop over the state was much reduced. We have had 

 several narrow escapes since, but we believe that there has been 

 no further damage. 



"Practically all fruit trees in our orchards show extremely heavy 

 bloom. Rarely and probably never have we seen our orchards so 

 full of flowers in all our experience of nearly 40 years. The season 

 of 1945 must have been very favorable for fruit bud formation. 

 The crop loss was one reason, but there must have been others. 



"While every day brings us nearer the time when we can feel 

 assured of a good crop, there is still danger of cold injury. A min- 

 imum temperature of 27° or 28° would cause heavy damage. The 

 next two weeks will be the critical period. While injurious cold may 

 occur after the middle of May, it is not probable." 



