March Windy? April Showers?

[Jim B.]

I have been wondering something for quite some time now. It is so cliché now I don't even need a cite. March is (supposedly) a windy month. April is supposedly a month with alot of rain, i.e., April Showers.

I guess my question is twofold: (1) Where did this idea come from? And if true, (2) Why is March windy and why is April rainy?

Thank you in advance to all who reply:)

[J Cubed]

I take it you've never lived between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperate_climate)?

[J Cubed]

Here's some more specifics:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_showers_(weather_phenomenon)

[Fake Tales of San Francisco]

Don't know about March Wind, but the full phrase for April showers is "April Showers bring May flowers". Seems it dates back to 1557 (http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/46/messages/268.html).It's based on actual observation though, and it's especially noticeable in the UK, since they often get heavy spring showers during April, due to the jet stream.

[Santo Rugger]

We learned in elementary that March is "in like a lion and out like a lamb," referring to the wind. With the wind (and snow?!) we've seen this April, that's most certainly not the case. Let's blame global warming, the economy, or Obama.

[Tom Tildrum]

We've had a windy March and a rainy April.