(WENY) -- The phrase "April showers bring May flowers," which originated from the United Kingdom, is a popular saying that is often used during the month of April. It is actually a shortened version of a longer weather lore. The original version is "March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers and June bugs."

It is the time when the last bit of snow turns to all rain as temperatures are on the climb. Increased rain shower activity sparks the beginning of flowers and plants starting to bloom as April is known as the start of the growing season. However, have you ever wondered why we see more shower activity in April?

The jet stream, which is a band of high-speed winds flowing in the upper levels of the atmosphere, migrates from its' position in winter over Mexico to summer over the southern regions of Canada. This steers storms systems across the United States. On top of that, the additional sunlight we are seeing during this time contributes to the storminess, along with the heat in the atmosphere, which creates more opportunities for convection to spark rain and thunderstorms.

You may be surprised to know that April is not the wettest month in the United States, but instead the month of June is. The average precipitation we see in Elmira, New York during the month of April is 3.09" and June is 4.29", according to U.S. Climate Data.

The phrase does hold true because the rains in April, the month that kicks off growing season, provides the spring-flowering plants with the nutrients needed to survive the months ahead.  Scientists have also proven that the warming spring temperatures are also a key ingredient.