April 9
Today in weather history across America. Records, extremes, and stories from 55+ years of NOAA data.
April 9, 1977: When Fargo Felt More Like June Than Early Spring
Fargo, NDStevenndori289 / CC BY-SA 4.0
The thermometer climbed to 85 degrees in Fargo on April 9, 1977, a record that still stands nearly five decades later. On a day when temperatures typically hover around 51 degrees, residents experienced summer-like heat more than two months early.
That scorching April day was no fluke. The entire spring of 1977 rewrote the record books for the region. Fargo recorded its warmest spring season on record that year, with an average temperature of 49.3 degrees, nearly seven degrees above the typical 42.7 degree spring average. May continued the exceptional warmth, posting an average monthly temperature of 66.5 degrees, making it the warmest May in Fargo history. The early-season heat wave arrived during a transitional time for the northern plains, when snow can still fall one week and temperatures can spike the next, showcasing the dramatic temperature swings characteristic of the region's continental climate.
The 85-degree reading on April 9 remains a testament to just how extreme the temperature swings can be in Fargo, where the difference between winter cold and summer heat creates some of the most variable weather conditions in the United States.
April 9 By the Numbers
Temperature Leaderboard
More From April 9
Stevenndori289 / CC BY-SA 4.0
Boston hits 85°F on April 9, 1991 in dramatic spring surge
April 9 in Boston typically hovers near the low 50s with an average high of 53°F, but the city has experienced wild temperature swings on this date across its 55-year climate record. The most dramatic departure came in 1991 when temperatures soared to an exceptional 85°F, while a frigid 26°F in 1977 shows how unpredictable spring weather can be in New England. This 59-degree range between record extremes underscores Boston's volatile transitional season.
Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress / Public domain
New York City hit 86°F on April 9, 1991—a remarkable 30 degrees above average
April 9 in New York City typically brings mild spring conditions with highs near 56°F and lows around 40°F. However, the record high of 86°F set in 1991 stands as an extraordinary anomaly, towering 30 degrees above the seasonal average and demonstrating the city's potential for dramatic early-spring heat. The record low of 25°F in 1977 shows the flip side of this date's volatility, with a 61-degree swing possible between the two extremes.
Stevenndori289 / CC BY-SA 4.0
Baltimore hit 91°F on April 9, 1991—a stark contrast to seasonal norms
April 9 in Baltimore typically brings mild spring conditions with average highs near 61°F, but the city experienced extreme temperature swings across its 55-year history. The record high of 91°F set in 1991 towers 30 degrees above normal, while the record low of 28°F in 1972 plunged well below the average low of 44°F, illustrating the unpredictability of early spring weather in the region.
Joshua Tree National Park / Public domain
Des Moines hit 86°F on April 9, 1977—a record that still stands
On April 9, 1977, Des Moines experienced an unseasonably warm spring day when temperatures soared to 86°F, establishing the record high for this date that persists across 55 years of weather data. This extreme stands 27 degrees above the typical high of 59°F for April 9, reflecting a dramatic swing from the coldest April 9 on record, when the thermometer plummeted to 19°F in 1997. The 67-degree difference between the record high and low underscores the volatile nature of spring weather in the Midwest.