“Though April showers may come your way…
They bring the flowers that bloom in May.”
               ~  from the 1962 animated short film “Wet Hare.”
        Sung by Bugs Bunny as he lathers up, taking his morning shower, under a waterfall.

So far, the only April showers to be had required a bar of soap and the correct plumbing. No need to go beyond the comforts of home. Throw in a towel (no umbrella) and you are good to go! Complete predictability – timing, temperature, force and duration can be expected. In other words … there is no rain in the immediate forecast.

Our best chances of any measurable precipitation has passed us by for this year. Water conservation and fire danger will be key in the upcoming summer months. But until the official rain season ends, I shall remain hopeful. So, until then – on with the weather and some insight on the origins of “April showers.”

The “high winds” the NWS warned us of last weekend were slow to materialize and not as strong as first anticipated. While some areas suffered considerable damage, we were spared. Springtime’s messy trees – the oaks and pines – were  swept clean of their flowerings and pollen as the winds blew through the foothills.

Most of the debris is now in our pool. With a flip of the filter’s OFF-switch (to avoid a blockage in the system), yard clean up begins this weekend. Abby, being a predictably-good Golden retriever got a head start on the task. Pine cones, sticks and small branches – basically anything she can figure out how to fit through the dog-door – are now on the living room floor. Way to go Abby … good girl!

These were not typical Santa Ana winds blowing from the northeast, but a colder type coming out of the north and northwest. The cold air mass was soon replaced by a warmer one. Weather in the spring and fall, being the transitional periods between summer and winter, is temperamental. Sudden changes in temperature, from one day to the next are the norm. Hopefully a little more rain (like 10 inches!) will fall before summer sets in.

From  the Renaissance Period comes the rhyme, “April showers bring May flowers.” Exact meaning is lost with time, but most scholars agree it was to encourage people to be patient and hopeful. The dreary, cold rains of April will soon end and the warm, clear days of May are coming. As the frozen ground of winter thaws, May’s flowers bloom, spreading their beauty and fragrance.

Over the years, systems to collect, store and divert rain water were developed. Although Mother Nature’s direct and immediate water delivery (rain) is preferred, spring’s flowers bloom nonetheless.

Warm yesterday, and cool tomorrow. A shift in the wind brings a return of the marine layer.  Expect daytime highs in the low 70s and nights  around 50.     Meteorologists are split as to the weekend forecast. Warm or cool? Come Monday, gloomy, drizzly weather will prevail.

Time for a shower!

Sue Kilpatrick is a
Crescenta Valley resident and
Official Skywarn Spotter for the
National Weather Service. Reach her at  suelkilpatrick@gmail.com.

  Sue Kilpatrick