April was drier, warmer than normal on Long Island

April on Long Island was drier than usual and a tad warmer, too.

Precipitation was measured at 1.53 inches last month -- 2.68 inches below normal, according to the National Weather Service in Upton. That's in keeping with January and March, which also recorded below-normal precipitation.

Don't look for complaints from the agricultural community.

While a "good, soaking rain" would be welcome, if given a choice of too wet or too dry, "farmers would prefer it to be dry," as they can always opt to irrigate, said Joseph M. Gergela III, executive director of the Long Island Farm Bureau.

An abundance of rain can lead to disease problems, soil compaction and fertilizer washed too quickly into the soil, he said.

When it comes to April temperatures, Long Islanders "may have noticed colder conditions more than warmer," weather service meteorologist Joe Pollina said, but the average temperature for the month was 49.6 degrees -- six-tenths of a degree above normal.

If that's surprising, Pollina points to the middle of the month, with its stretch of four balmy days, one of which set a record high of 82 degrees.

Looking ahead to May? Historically, the average temperature for the month is 58.6, with rainfall totaling 3.78 inches.