Mohawk Valley Almanac for April 2025
Easter, on April 20th this year, varies between March and April, on the first Sunday after the first full Moon falling after the vernal equinox. This year, as is usually the case, Jewish Passover falls about the same time, beginning on the 12th at sundown. Otherwise, the “holidays” in April are all cultural social holidays: April Fools’ Day, Earth Day, and National Arbor Day.
Holidays and Observance of April 2025
April 1 April Fools’ Day
April 2 Pascua Day – Florida
April 12 Passover begins at sundown
April 13 Palm Sunday; Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday
April 15 Pan American Day
April 18 Good Friday
April 20 Easter Sunday; Orthodox Easter
April 21 San Jacinto Day – Texas; Patriot’s Day – Maine and Massachusetts
April 22 Earth Day
April 23 Holocaust Remembrance Day begins at Sundown
April 25 National Arbor Day
Earth Day and Arbor Day are somewhat related. Earth Day began just over 50 years ago, as there was increased awareness and concern over various environmental issues. These included air, water, and land pollution, solid waste disposal and other related issues. There are usually various clean ups, educational seminars, tree plantings, and related events in many communities. Frequently these are at parks or schools and universities.
This year, Earth Day observances may have a stronger emphasis on education of the public on the importance of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This is especially urgent as the Trump Administration and the EPA under former New York gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin have scaled back about thirty regulations meant to limit pollution levels in manufacturing and vehicle emissions, as well as water and land pollution. These regulations on air pollution are especially important related to global warming and rapid climate change. As the need to phase out fossil fuels is urgent, these steps are in absolutely the wrong direction to avoid increasingly severe weather events related to climate change.
Arbor Day focuses specifically on tree planting. With warmer weather and before the greenery really fills in, late April and early May are usually peak time for such events. The Arbor Day Foundation, and other organizations, donated many trees for large scale planting.
With warmer weather and longer hours of daylight, outdoor activities late in the day and into the evening. Go the distance training for the Boilermaker sponsored in part by WKTV-2 begins, Most entries in the July 13 Boilermaker 15 K road race also begin training.
Many become more active in other outdoor sports and activities, such as tennis, golf, bicycling, and hiking. However, care must be taken on many trails, especially in the Adirondacks, as April is also known as mud season.
April showers bring May flowers. It is certainly the month to begin tending flower or vegetable gardens. April is blooming time for daffodils, tulips and hyacinths. It is also time to plant cool weather crops that are not that sensitive to a late frost such as peas, spinach, lettuce, kale, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Most root crops like carrots and beets can also be planted in April.
Vegetables that are frost sensitive—tomatoes, peppers, beans and squash—are generally planted a few weeks later in mid- to late-May. Most annual flowers are also planted after the last frost from seed or transplants bought or started inside. That is hard to judge, but the last frost has been earlier by several days to weeks over the past three decades. Thirty years ago, tomatoes and peppers in the Mohawk Valley were planted about Memorial Day, but now this is often done by mid-May. The last frost may be about two to three weeks later in the higher hills to the south and in the Adirondacks and the North Country.
There is occasionally an inch or two of snow in April, but not every year. As the sun rises higher, and days are usually warmer and pleasant, enjoy the sunny weather after a long winter of near hibernation.
In the Night Skies
A waxing crescent Moon is just above the Pleiades star cluster in the twilight western sky on the 1st, best seen with binoculars. The Moon has conjunctions with Jupiter on the 2nd, and with Mars on the 5th. The Full Pink Moon is on the 12th.
From about the 19th to the 30th about 5:30 A.M., Mercury and Saturn can be seen very low on the eastern horizon below a very bright Venus, which appears higher every morning, as bright as magnitude -4.8. A waning crescent Moon joins those three planets on the 25th, to the left of Saturn, above Mercury and all below a higher Venus.
Rising and Setting times of Sun, Moon and Visible Planets, April 20, 2025
Sunrise 6:08 A.M.
Moonrise Last Quarter Moon Rises 2:32 A.M., SE Sets: 11:13 A.M., SW
Mercury Rises 5:22 A.M., East
Venus Rises 4:38 A.M. East
Mars Sets 2:54 A.M., Northwest
Jupiter Sets 11:53 P.M., Northwest
Saturn Rises 5:06 A.M., East
Phases of the Moon for April 2025
April 4 First Quarter Moon Rises: 10:49 A.M., NE Sets: 2:32 A.M., NW
April 12 Full Pink Moon Rises: 7:39 P.M., E Sets: 6:05 A.M., W
April 20 Easter Last Quarter Moon Rises 2:32 A.M., SE Sets: 11:13 A.M., SW
April 30 New Moon: Rises: 5:35 A.M., E Sets: 8:17 P.M.,NW
