April can be a frustrating month in Maine. There’s often still snow in the north and in the south a cool chill off the water keeps it from feeling very spring-like in spite of what the calendar says.

Since the first day of spring we’ve seen huge fluctuations in our weather from 70 degree warmth to snow.  There have also been a lot of days with wind and even some bone-chilling mornings.   It’s been as if the atmosphere just couldn’t calm down, but that’s about to change at least for a bit.

Today will feature a period of rain but I’m not expecting much of it throughout the day.  The map below from the American model gives some very specific numbers. I show you this to illustrate the range of possible rainfall. You can assume you will see anywhere from roughly a quarter to half an inch. This is a good thing in April as it won’t be too long before our precipitation becomes much more showery in nature and we start watching for areas of drought.

Once this system moves by, high pressure will build in and protect us from any weather systems through the weekend and even into next week. I circled the high pressure system on the image below. This also means light winds for several days, although there could be a sea breeze keeping the coast cooler.

With several days of sunshine and clear skies there will be a large range in temperatures. At night I expect a frost or freeze in most places although right along the ocean, especially south of Portland, temperatures could remain above freezing.

This stretch of fine weather might get you thinking about planting a few things and you could certainly give it a try. Seeds of cool weather crops need to germinate in soil that’s at least 40 degrees and some, like kale, collards and lettuce, prefer temperatures around 70 degrees for optimal germination. There’s not any way our soil will get that warm yet, so you could cover the ground with a clear plastic sheet to heat it up. Just be sure you remove it as soon as the seeds put out roots or you could cook them.

If you want to just plant directly in the ground, peas, radish, carrots, choys, and kale should be able to germinate. The maps below show current soil temperatures and where they are expected to be later this week.

The next chance of widespread rain doesn’t appear to come until sometime after April 20. There might be a few showers from a back door cold front Monday, but if you are running in the Boston Marathon, the weather there looks clear and mild, but not hot.

After a rough start the first 10 days of this month, it appears we have finally turned the corner to a more enjoyable April weather pattern. You’ll be able to get outside a lot over the next week to 10 days, something that’s not always an option in early spring.

You can follow Dave Epstein on Twitter @growingwisdom

Copy the Story Link