Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in April: Weather, Rain Days and How It Compares With March and May

WES SKILES PEACOCK SPRINGS · APRIL · NORTH FLORIDA

You have already picked the spring, so the open question is the date. April brings warm afternoons, cool mornings and few rain days to this corner of north Florida. It comes just after the March spring-break rush that our Florida guide flags, and it still falls inside the state’s November-to-April dry season.

For a diver planning a long weekend, or a family adding a swim stop to a Suwannee River road trip, the month settles two practical points. The first is what to wear at the water’s edge at 8 a.m. The second is how often rain spoils a day. NOAA station data answers both.

Clear blue spring water ringed by cypress and oak trees in soft morning light — A north Florida spring pool on a cool April morning · Illustration

APRIL AT A GLANCE · WES SKILES PEACOCK SPRINGS

April suits a Peacock Springs trip well: afternoons near 80°F, mornings in the mid-50s and measurable rain on about four days, all read at Cross City rather than at the spring itself.

AVG HIGH 80.1°F · AVG LOW 55.0°F · 4.1 RAIN DAYS · NOAA CROSS CITY 1991–2020

High / low80.1°F / 55.0°F

Precipitation2.90 in

Rain days (0.10 in+)4.1

Daylight, Apr 1512 h 58 min

Sunrise / sunset7:02 a.m. / 8:00 p.m. EDT

Frost nights0.1 on average

Go for: shirt-sleeve afternoons around the spring pools, long 13-hour days and a month with fewer rain days than March or May.

Think twice before: planning early-morning water time with no warm layer, because the average April low at Cross City is 55.0°F.

Climate: NOAA NCEI, Cross City station · Daylight: sunrise-sunset.org · full sources at the end

April weather at Peacock SpringsHighs of 80.1°F, lows of 55.0°F, 4.1 rain days
How warm is it by day and by night?A 25.1°F daily swing and the odds of frost
Crowds and prices in AprilSeason timing, booking and lodging tax
Things to do in AprilPeacock Spring, Orange Grove Sink and Troy Spring
A one-day plan for AprilSunrise at 7:02 a.m., afternoon peak near 80°F
April vs March and MayHighs of 74.9°F, 80.1°F and 86.7°F
Is April a good time to go?Who should go, and when May suits better

Every figure here comes from NOAA NCEI’s 1991–2020 normals for station USW00012833 at Cross City. That is a station thermometer rather than a model grid cell, and it is the same station that serves Troy Spring on the same reach of the Suwannee. Read the numbers as conditions at the station. They are not a measurement at the spring.

Wes Skiles Peacock Springs weather in April: average highs, lows and rain days

April at Cross City (NOAA 1991–2020)	Value
Average high	80.1°F
Average low	55.0°F
Precipitation	2.90 in
Days with 0.10 in or more	4.1
Nights at 32°F or below	0.1
Daylight on April 15	12 h 58 min
Sunrise / sunset, April 15	7:02 a.m. / 8:00 p.m. EDT

NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information put the April average high at 80.1°F and the average low at 55.0°F. Both come from thirty years of readings, 1991 to 2020, at the Cross City station. Precipitation for the month averages 2.90 inches. Each high is an average of daily maximums, so any single afternoon can run several degrees warmer or cooler.

Measurable rain, meaning 0.10 inch or more, falls on 4.1 days in an average April. That works out to roughly one day in seven. A four-day trip has fair odds of staying dry the whole way, and a full week usually loses a day. Keep one flexible slot in your plan and move the drive or a long lunch into it if the radar turns green.

The average high and low sit about 25°F apart, roughly the difference between a sweater and a T-shirt. Pack a fleece or light jacket for 55°F mornings in the parking lot, and shorts and sunscreen for 80°F afternoons. Add a dry layer to change into after any swim. Wet skin cools fast in cool morning air.

On April 15 the sun rises at 7:02 a.m. and sets at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, for 12 hours 58 minutes of daylight. Those times are from sunrise-sunset.org and convert 11:02 and 00:00 UTC. You have light until about 8 p.m., so a late-afternoon swim can still finish before dark.

How warm is Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in April?

Afternoons average 80.1°F and nights 55.0°F at Cross City, a spread of 25.1°F between the average daily maximum and minimum. We could not read a water-temperature series for Peacock Springs itself, so we quote no water figure. The air numbers describe the walk to the water. They say nothing about the spring.

For clothing, start the day in long sleeves and closed shoes on the path to the water, then expect to be in a T-shirt by early afternoon. Divers who suit up in the morning should keep a warm top and a towel within reach. The air is still close to its 55°F low for the first hours after sunrise.

Frost is rare. At Cross City, 0.1 night in an average April falls to 32°F or below, about one frosty night per ten Aprils. If you are camping near the river, pack one warm sleeping layer for the rare cold snap.

How busy is Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in April? Crowds and prices

We found no hotel-rate or occupancy series for the area around the park, so we don’t rank any month as cheap or expensive. The calendar is clearer. Our Florida guide dates the state’s dry season from November through April and marks March as spring-break month. That places April at the end of the dry season, after the busiest school week.

Without rate data we can’t give a booking lead time in weeks. Reserve your room once your dive or swim dates are fixed, and read the cancellation terms before you pay. Our where-to-stay guide and Florida trip-cost guide cover the budgeting we can support.

We could not verify the lodging-tax rate for the area around the park, so we give no percentage. When you book, ask for the total with taxes and fees included.

The one spend that changes an April trip is flexibility. A refundable room lets you shift a day if rain lands on your swim. If you are flying in, our Florida flights guide compares the airports, and the same advice applies to the ticket: a changeable fare costs more up front and protects the water day.

Things to do in Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in April

A small spring-fed sinkhole with dark blue water under fresh green spring foliage — Orange Grove Sink under new April leaves · Illustration

April makes a long outdoor day easy: shirt-sleeve afternoons with low odds of a washout. Divers get a warm surface interval between dives. Paddlers and walkers get to skip the heavier heat that arrives later in spring.

Inside Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park, the sites to know are Peacock Spring and Orange Grove Sink, two entrances to the underwater cave system that brings certified cave divers here. Troy Spring State Park sits on the same reach of the Suwannee and shares the Cross City thermometer. We could not verify entry fees, gate hours, parking capacity or water temperatures for either park, so we quote none. Check with Florida State Parks before you drive.

Spring water holds a steady temperature year-round, but the air around it changes with the season. In April the air climbs from 55.0°F to 80.1°F over a typical day. The same spring that feels cold to step into at breakfast feels refreshing by mid-afternoon. We have no verified spring reading to set beside those air figures.

We could not verify any free-entry day at either park in April, and we found no dated event for the month, so we list neither. Our Florida things-to-do guide covers the wider state, and our Florida road-trip guide shows how to fit a spring stop into a longer drive.

Wes Skiles Peacock Springs day trip in April

Sunrise is at 7:02 a.m., with the air near its 55°F low. We could not verify the park’s gate time, so confirm it the day before and plan to be there at opening. Eat breakfast and drive in the cool first hours, with a warm layer on. Save the swim or dive for late morning, once the air has started to climb, and keep a dry change of clothes in the car.

The day’s warmth peaks in the afternoon, near the 80.1°F average. That is the natural time for a second swim or a drive to Troy Spring. If rain hits, move the water time to the next morning, since the month averages only 4.1 rain days. On a cold snap, flip the order: drive and eat in the morning, and swim once the afternoon air has warmed. Daylight lasts until 8:00 p.m.

Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in April vs March and May

Month	Avg high	Avg low	Precipitation	Days with 0.10 in+
March	74.9°F	49.6°F	3.53 in	4.6
April	80.1°F	55.0°F	2.90 in	4.1
May	86.7°F	62.7°F	2.74 in	4.7

From March to April the average high rises 5.2°F and the low 5.4°F. Precipitation drops from 3.53 to 2.90 inches, and rain days from 4.6 to 4.1. May adds another 6.6°F to the high and 7.7°F to the low and trims precipitation slightly to 2.74 inches, but rain days climb back to 4.7.

Going four weeks earlier, to March, means colder mornings near 49.6°F and the spring-break calendar, plus the most precipitation of the three months. Waiting four weeks, to May, gets you the warmest nights at 62.7°F and afternoons near 86.7°F, but also the most rain days of the three.

Is April a good time to visit Wes Skiles Peacock Springs?

Yes, for most trips. It suits divers who want mild surface intervals, and families or paddlers who like 80°F afternoons without May’s extra heat. It suits you less if you need warm early mornings, because the average low is 55.0°F. Campers who dislike cool nights may want a later date.

If warm mornings matter most, choose May. The average low reaches 62.7°F, and afternoons near 86.7°F suit anyone planning long hours in the water.

Of the three spring months, April alone pairs the fewest rain days, 4.1, with afternoons that stay near 80°F.

The last word

Choose April for a warm afternoon at the spring and a jacket at dawn, and book it refundable. One more figure from Cross City: an average April has 0.7 day with an inch or more of rain, so a proper soaking hits most Aprils, though not every one. Keep one spare day in a long weekend for it, and plan your time in the water around it.

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Sources & data for this guide

April, March and May normals (highs, lows, precipitation, rain days, frost nights) · NOAA NCEI monthly normals 1991–2020, station USW00012833, Cross City · checked Sep 24, 2026
Station scope · Cross City is the same station that serves Troy Spring on the same reach of the Suwannee, not a thermometer at the spring · checked Sep 24, 2026
Daylight, sunrise and sunset on April 15 · sunrise-sunset.org, converted from UTC to Eastern Daylight Time · checked Sep 24, 2026
Dry season and March spring break · our Florida guide · checked Sep 24, 2026
We could not verify park entry fees, gate hours, parking, spring water temperature, lodging tax or April events · check Florida State Parks and your lodging before you book.