BURSTING INTO LIFE

Spring Arrives Earlier Than Ever for Much of U.S.

Scientific data show leaves sprouting three weeks earlier than long-term averages across much of the United States.

Good news: Spring has sprung! Not so good: It’s three weeks early. The latest data from the USA National Phenology Network, a group of scientists and academics that tracks weather effects on fauna and flora, shows trees already sprouting leaves across the country. More specifically, the group keeps a close eye on when certain lilac and honeysuckle show their first leaves, often the clearest sign of spring arriving. “In some parts of the country, this spring is starting almost three weeks earlier than average, compared with the past four decades, according to the model,” the Wall Street Journal reports. The Journal report quotes Richard Hayden, who’s in charge of horticulture at New York’s High Line and saw a honey-bee buzzing around a crocus in mid-February. “My first reaction was, ‘You go, girl. Get out there to get that pollen. Opportunity says it’s warm enough for you to be out foraging for your hive—just get the work done.’”