Spring arrives early for many — that’s not all good
Spring has sprung. After a mild winter, flowers are blooming and trees are leafing out earlier than ever recorded across portions of the U.S., scientists say.
“Phenologists – who study seasonal phenomena in the natural world – calculate the start of spring based on observations of ‘leaf-outs’ (the appearance of tiny leaves on trees), blooms for species active in early spring (such as lilac and honeysuckle) and weather events and temperature conditions,” the Guardian reported.
In parts of the Southeast, this year’s spring is the earliest in the 39 years records have been kept, according to data from the USA National Phenology Network.
“Spring leaf-out continues ... three weeks earlier than the long-term average in some locations,” the network said.
Locations such as Washington, D.C., and New York City are 24 days early; Philadelphia is 16 days early and Little Rock, Arkansas, is nine days early.
The early spring is due in part to the unusually warm winter: The U.S. winter (December-February) was the sixthwarmest on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Friday. NOAA’s records go back to 1895.
This past winter, all of the lower 48 states were warmer than average, NOAA said, and 22 states had one of their top 10 warmest winters on record.
While some people might welcome the warmth of an early spring, it can cause problems in the natural world.
Changes in the timing of spring can affect human health, bringing earlyseason disease carriers such as ticks and mosquitoes, and an earlier, longer and more vigorous pollen season, the
U.S. Geological Survey says.
In addition, while a longer growing season can result in increased yields for some crops, it is risky because of the higher likelihood of plant damage caused by late frosts or summer drought.
This year’s unusual warmth is part of a long-term trend due in part to manmade global warming.
“We’ve known for over a decade now that climate change is variably advancing the onset of spring across the United States,” the U.S. Geological Survey says.
That does not bode well for allergy sufferers this spring.
A University of Maryland study last year reported “human-induced climate change is disrupting nature’s calendar, including when plants bloom and the spring season starts, and new research suggests we’re increasingly paying the price for it in the form of seasonal allergies.”