[PDGA Major] Champions Cup 2024

[ChrisWoj]

When I ran sports programs in the Chicago 'burbs, we started softball with daylight savings time. Back then DST started the first week of April, and we sometimes had cold but never had snow. What we did have was full onslaught thaw; the fields could be muddy as all Hell into May. Sloppy muddy conditions would be what I would be concerned about.

I both ran Track & Field in HS way back 00-03 and then coached as well from 14-19.

I bring this up because, here in Toledo at a very similar latitude to Chicago, it made the regularity of snow in April glaringly obvious to me. Because our seasons always started with the first weekend in April. And every season I can recall there was one meet where driving snow was a problem. Every time. Its crazy surprising to me that you never had an early April snowfall in Chicago. I suppose its far enough away for weather patterns to be different, but it doesn't FEEL like it is.

 

[Countchunkula]

I both ran Track & Field in HS way back 00-03 and then coached as well from 14-19.

I bring this up because, here in Toledo at a very similar latitude to Chicago, it made the regularity of snow in April glaringly obvious to me. Because our seasons always started with the first weekend in April. And every season I can recall there was one meet where driving snow was a problem. Every time. Its crazy surprising to me that you never had an early April snowfall in Chicago. I suppose its far enough away for weather patterns to be different, but it doesn't FEEL like it is.

Where you are at in relation to the great lakes has a big impact. NW Indiana and Western Michigan get a ton of lake effect snow when we get barely a dusting from the same storm. Not sure how it goes in Toledo.

Peoria is far enough outside of that sphere of influence that I'm not sure Chicago weather is all that relevant to Champions Cup. I have absolutely seen significant April snows in Chi town though.

edit: 3P must be drinking the rug cleaner again. Not sure how he didn't ever encounter April snow.

 

[ChrisWoj]

Where you are at in relation to the great lakes has a big impact. NW Indiana and Western Michigan get a ton of lake effect snow when we get barely a dusting from the same storm. Not sure how it goes in Toledo.

Peoria is far enough outside of that sphere of influence that I'm not sure Chicago weather is all that relevant to Champions Cup. I have absolutely seen significant April snows in Chi town though.

I was thinking of that. My personal perception is that I assume Chicago generally gets more than us. Winter storms tend to move north-to-south as they sweep through the region, with much of it pulled northward as it crosses Lake Michigan and then heading north of us, and that which passes Lake Michigan to the south tends to continue moving N to S leaving a bit of a gap around Toledo. We tend be, monthly, a bit drier than Chicago.

Looking at the National Weather Service right now it turns out the correct answer to the question of who gets more snow in April, though, in particular is... neither. Both Toledo and Chicago are listed as having average April snowfall of approx 1.3 inches.

Frankly my whole first paragraph is probably way off of reality. Just anecdote. What I'm seeing is Toledo is much snowier in December, slightly less snowy in January, much less snowy in February.

 

[Three Putt]

Where you are at in relation to the great lakes has a big impact. NW Indiana and Western Michigan get a ton of lake effect snow when we get barely a dusting from the same storm. Not sure how it goes in Toledo.

Peoria is far enough outside of that sphere of influence that I'm not sure Chicago weather is all that relevant to Champions Cup. I have absolutely seen significant April snows in Chi town though.

edit: 3P must be drinking the rug cleaner again. Not sure how he didn't ever encounter April snow.

I was only there for five years, man.

It may have snowed in April when I was there, just never enough on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday that I had to cancel softball over it. Once that constant snow cover melts off in March, the snow I remember was the "snow one day/melt the next" stuff that was basically around for a day. A snowstorm in late April with significant accumulation? Yeah, that didn't happen when I was there. It probably has happened and could happen again, but it's not normal. CC could very well have cold/wet/crappy weather, but I don't think we have to worry about snow that much.

But...hey, disc golf is played outside. The weather could stink. It happens.

 

[Countchunkula]

I was only there for five years, man.

It may have snowed in April when I was there, just never enough on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday that I had to cancel softball over it. Once that constant snow cover melts off in March, the snow I remember was the "snow one day/melt the next" stuff that was basically around for a day. A snowstorm in late April with significant accumulation? Yeah, that didn't happen when I was there. It probably has happened and could happen again, but it's not normal. CC could very well have cold/wet/crappy weather, but I don't think we have to worry about snow that much.

But...hey, disc golf is played outside. The weather could stink. It happens.

I only added in the bit about drinking rug cleaner (an old gym teacher's overused line) because it still cracks me up. You weren't really the target, just conveniently nearby.

I agree that late April is likely mud season down there (and up here).

 

[@CD-]

I would expect temps above freezing throughout the daytime. Potential for rain leading to snow overnight if it gets cold enough. Ground temps generally warm up enough to prevent accumulation in April.

End of April has the Peoria area already in tornado season. Higher winds likely and a decent chance of storms blowing through over a weeklong period. Would be good to minimize the spectators and personnel on the course and at the park if a storm is forecast or ground conditions are not ideal.

 

[ru4por]

LOL....you guys are debating weather prognostication. Could be a derecho, an atmospheric river, a snowmageddon, a gustnado, a bomb cyclone, swullocking, blenky, blustery or a haboob.

 

[TheOtherBill]

A blustery haboob would get great ratings.