How do you foretell the coming of spring? Every year, I enjoy hearing what readers from different regions have to say!
To me, birds are one of the best predictors. There is a weather proverb that states, "Bluebirds are a sign of spring; warm weather and gentle south breezes they bring," and this appears to be true in the northern tier of the United States. Bluebirds do not come north until all chance of winter has passed and they are assured an ample food supply.
In my state of New Hampshire, we also know spring is coming when the maple trees are starting to run. The first to notice seem to be the squirrels who start poking around the trees looking for oozing sap.
On a personal level, I know when spring is coming because I start feeling the bumps and holes on my own country driveway; the snow nicely covers and smooths out our road in winter!
Some of our readers also have practical advice. Winter will end shortly after…
- you are inside your warm home and you hear the sound of icicles crashing from the gutters and roofs to the ground below,
- whenever you feel motivated to peel off the 3M plastic you so meticulously taped and blow dried tight to your windows!
- when your mailbox stops getting knocked over by the plow,
- when the kids lose a mitten and you don't bother to replace it,
- and the first time you can drive with you car window down - best feeling ever!
One of our favorite pieces of advice that we’ve received for predicting the weather is as follows:
Go to the back door and look for the dog.
If the dog is at the door and he is wet, it’s probably raining
But if the dog is standing there really soaking wet, it’s probably raining hard.
If the dog’s fur looks like it’s been rubbed the wrong way, it’s probably windy.
If the dog has snow on its back, it’s probably snowing.
The instructions we were sent go on to say…
Of course, to be able to predict the weather like this, you have to leave the dog outside all the time, especially if you expect bad weather.
Signed, sincerely, the cat
What signs of spring do you see? I'd love to hear! To comment, just type into the field below. (Note that you must be a registered user. Registration is free.)
Catherine, our New Media Editor, joined The Old Farmer's Almanac in 2008. She edits content on both this Web site, Almanac.com, and the companion site to The Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids publication, Almanac4kids.com. She also manages social media content for Facebook and Twitter. When she's not online, she's with her husband and child enjoying the outdoors life in New Hampshire.
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