Amsterdam weather in April

April 1st, 2013 | Last updated: April 28th, 2013

DutchAmsterdam.nl — April in Amsterdam brings good news and bad news when it comes to the weather.

The good news is that this is normally the driest month of the year. It does rain, but the spring showers are usually short-lived and not too wet.

April in Amsterdam: the weather will often be nice enough for sidewalk- or canalside cafés

The bad news is that April is a month with sharp contrasts. April doet wij hij wil, the Dutch say.

It means that ‘April does whatever it wishes to do,’ which can include anything from abundant sunshine and near-summer time temperatures to, well, snow on the ground.

Erratic weather, from day to day and sometimes hour to hour.

That said, April 2013 has for the most part been cold — unseasonably so.

The cold spell continues even to this day (I’m writing this on April 28) — although we’re finally seeing some sunshine.

Queen’s Day Weather

But what everyone wants to know this time of year is: What will the weather be like on Queen’s Day?

For a while it looked like April 30 could be become a washout, but right now the weather folks are optimistic.

They predict a week full of sun, and though there may be some rain on Monday and Thursday, Tuesday — the day of the world’s biggest street party (and more) — will be sunny and dry!

Mind you, the temperatures will still be quite low — anywhere between 12° Celsius (53.6° Fahrenheit) and 15° Celsius (59° Fahrenheit).

Later in the week the temperature may climb to about 20° Celsius (68° Fahrenheit).

Current Weather

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Weather

We’ve had a cold, grey, dull March this year — and April wasn’t much better.

Finally, at the tail end of the month (April 28) we are starting to see more sunshine, but you still see lots of people wearing sweats and warm jackets.

As mentioned above, towards the end of this week — and thus in the first few days of May — the temperatures are expected to rise to more comfortable heights.

Note that on average in April the sun shines on Amsterdam 177 hours.

That works out to 43 per cent of the time that it could possible shine — a marked improvement over the 33 per cent we normally get in March.

Amsterdam Weather Facts: April

Temperatures
• Average lows: 3.3° C (38° F)
• Average highs: 12.8° C (55° F)

Sunrise & Sunset
• April 1 – 7:16 a.m. / 8:13 p.m
• April 30 – 6:13 a.m. / 9:02 p.m.

Rainfall
• Average: 47 mm (1.8 inches) in 72 hours

What to wear in Amsterdam in April

Two men take advantage of the sun to get some work done at the crossing of two car-free streets

You’ll want to come prepared for bright, sunny weather and warm spring-time temperatures. Or bright, sunny weather and low temperatures. Or the type of storms that make you think it’s fall.

In other words, try and determine what kind of weather the day brings and dress accordingly. Dress in layers so you can add or subtract something if and when the weather changes.

A light jacket is a good idea (or, if you’re here during the much-colder-than-usual first half of April 2013, a warm winter coat).

You can pick up inexpensive umbrellas just about anywhere, but if you do encounter a spot of rain simply make a beeline into the nearest café — just like the Dutch do.

Tips

On warm, sunny days Amsterdammers come out in droves in order to shop, relax in a park, or people watch at outdoor cafés. It’s a good idea to join them.
Take advantage of the lengthening days — courtesy of nature and helped a bit by the Summer Time that started the last Sunday of March. At the beginning of April sunset is around 8pm, and by the end of the month it stays light out till about 9pm.