And we earned it. After a couple of weeks of cool, gray and wet April weather, we have finally shaken it all off. The next few days look absolutely perfect. Highs in the 70s, lows in the 40s, and nearly perfectly clear skies, day and night. Here's the official forecast.
Highs in the 70s will put us as much as 10 degrees above the long-term average for these weekend dates. Average highs for this time of year are 66 or 67 degrees. The average low is 44 degrees. The warmer weather will help to pull this April out of the basement. So far, it remains the coldest April in Baltimore's weather books, which stretch back to 1871.
The average temperature for this month is just 45.6 degrees (through Thursday), according to the National Weather Service. The last time a Baltimore April got even close to that was a century ago - in 1907 - when the month ended with an average temperature of 47.8 degrees. It was even cooler in April 1874, when the city averaged an even 47 degrees. Here is the temperature data.
With the skies so clear this weekend, I was hoping we could catch a nice pass by the International Space Station. But, while the station is in the evening sky this week, its track is fairly low to the horizon, and may be hard to spot. A better opportunity will come next Tuesday evening, if skies stay clear. Watch this space.
The best sight in the evening sky tonight will be a slender crescent moon passing close by the planet Venus, in the western sky after sunset. The pairing was beautiful last night. The moon will have climbed a bit higher by tonight, above Venus. Late evening commuters (like me) will have another lovely view.
Another option, for the insomniacs among us, will be the Lyrid meteor shower. It's a small one, but with the moon setting early, and the very clear skies, it could be a pleasant way to pass the (very) early Sunday and Monday morning.
