What is Amsterdam’s April weather like?
The good news: this is normally the driest month of the year. It does rain, but the spring showers are usually short-lived and not too wet.
Oh… and we’ve got millions — MILLIONS — of tulips and other flowers.
A terrace alongside Singel canal in the center of Amsterdam
The bad news: April is a month with sharp contrasts.
April doet wat hij wil, the Dutch say. It means that ‘April does whatever it wishes to do,’ which can include anything from abundant sunshine and almost summertime temperatures to, well, snow on the ground.
Erratic weather, from day to day and sometimes hour to hour.
Weather Forecast
Sunday, April 15, 2018 Partly cloudy; at times overcast. Possibility of a light rain shower in the early morning, and again from early afternoon through later afternoon. Mid afternoon high: 16° Celsius (60.8° Fahrenheit).
Monday, April 16, 2018 Cloudy or sunny intervals alternate. No rain. Mid afternoon high temperature about 14° Celsius (57.2° Fahrenheit).
Tuesday, April 17, 2018 Periods of sun and sunny intervals alternate. No rain. Late afternoon high around 17° Celsius (62.6° Fahrenheit).
Wednesday, April 18, 2018 Lots of sunshine. No rain. Afternoon high temperature at least 20° Celsius (68° Fahrenheit).
Thursday, April 19, 2018 Sunny. No rain. Late afternoon high: 22° Celsius (71.6° Fahrenheit).
Friday, April 20, 2018 Sunny. No rain. Mid afternoon high about 20° Celsius (68° Fahrenheit).
Long term forecast
Long term weather forecast, Saturday April 21, 2018 through Saturday April 28, 2018: High probability of a calm and initially warm weather type. In the course of the period, the temperature forecast becomes uncertain. The chance of precipitation increases.
Average Low and High Temperatures in April
| Normal Average Low and High Temperatures in April in Amsterdam | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Minimum | Maximum |
| April 1-10 | 3.8° Celsius (38.84° Fahrenheit) | 11.6° Celsius (52.88° Fahrenheit) |
| April 11-20 | 4.2° Celsius (39.56° Fahrenheit) | 12.6° Celsius (54.68° Fahrenheit) |
| April 21-30 | 6° Celsius (42.8° Fahrenheit) | 15.2° Celsius (59.36° Fahrenheit) |
Things To Do
During the month of April lots of tourists visit Amsterdam. Book skip-the-line tickets, museums, excursions and activities ahead of time:
Hotels
Due to high demand, hotel prices tend to be higher during the months of April and May. For the best rates (and to make sure you can even get a room) Book your hotel as early as possible.
Queen’s Day King’s Day Weather
But what everyone wants to know this time of year is: What will the weather be like on King’s Day (formerly: Queen’s Day)?
We’re talking about the world’s biggest street party — when millions of Dutch people (wearing something orange, of course) take to the streets and canals to celebrate the King’s birthday.
Queen’s Day 2012 (nowadays it’s King’s Day) at Korte Prinsengracht, Amsterdam
King’s Day will take place on April 27, the King’s birthday.
We’ve often had good weather. But at times there have been grey skies as well — which tends to make for a somewhat less abundant party atmosphere. (‘Somewhat less’ is relevant. You haven’t seen a party this big anywhere else).
See Holland’s Tulip & Flower Fields and Gardens
If you like tulips and other flowers, April is the ideal month in which to visit Amsterdam.
Excursions to the nearby tulip and bulb fields, as well as the world-renowned Keukenhof (known as the Garden of Europe, one of the world’s largest flower gardens) are popular with tourists and locals alike.
Many people combine their visit to the Keukenhof with a tour of the flower fields and/or an excursion to the famous windmills at Zaansche Schans.
When do the tulips bloom?
Tulips bloom from the end of March to the middle of May. Normally the best time to visit the tulip fields is during the last 2 weeks of April and the first week of May, when the flowers are at their peak.
However, around the 30th of April most of the flowers in the fields are ‘topped.’ That means the flowers are cut off in order to stimulate the bulbs to grow. There will be some flowers left in the fields — just not as many.
The exception is Keukenhof.
In 2017, Keukenhof is open From March 23 through May 21. Plan your visit as soon as possible.
Sunshine!
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 while getting some work done at the intersection of two car-free streets in the center of Amsterdam
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.
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. You’ll hear Dutch people say something like, “Zullen we een terrasje pakken?” which means “Shall we sit on a terrace?” (literally, ‘shall we take a terrace’). By all means, do the same. Here’s how to order a beer in Amsterdam.
- Take advantage of the lengthening days — courtesy of nature and helped a bit by the ‘Summer Time’ (Daylight Saving 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.
See also