Newswise — Jessica Rennells, a climatologist and extension support specialist at the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University, comments on data released today by the center that shows several cities in the region endured a rare weather juxtaposition – an April that was colder than March.

Rennells says:

“March 2012 was a record-breaking month, breaking more than 15,000 temperature records across the United States.

“A month later, March’s heat is still breaking records. March was warmer than April at 12 of our first-order stations. This is the first time for this to happen at Dulles, Scranton, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Binghamton since their record keeping began.”

Average temperatures at Northeast stations where April was colder than March

StationMarch 2012April 2012Prior years
Huntington, W.Va.5755.51973, 1907
Charleston, W.Va.56.555.51907, 1903
Dulles, Va.54.354*
Beckley, W.Va.54 53.21961, 1936, 1935, 1921, 1907
Pittsburgh, Pa.51.550.41946, 1907
Elkins, W.Va.50.350.11935, 1907, 1903
Erie, Pa.48.945.61946
Scranton, Pa.48.848.5*
Buffalo, N.Y.47.445.2*
Rochester, N.Y.47.345.9*
Syracuse, N.Y.46.545.9*
Ithaca, N.Y.45.244 1946
Binghamton, N.Y.45.244.5*

* No previous instance of April being colder than March has ever recorded.