According to the calendar, today is the first day of spring! But the plants and animals around us tell the real story. Whether you’re in New England awaiting the next Nor’easter or in the west hoping for a little more rain, our status of spring maps predict whether spring has actually arrived at your location, and whether it is early or late this year.  

Our First Leaf Index predicts the leaf out of plants that are among the first to show their leaves in the spring (think lilacs and other early season shrubs). The map on the right shows spring leaf out across the country so far this year. 

The colors represent the difference between this year and a 30-year average. Red colors indicate this year is ahead of normal; blue indicates this year is behind normal for a particular location. Spring leaf out arrived early in the west and mid-Atlantic, but late in much of the Southeast. 

The First Bloom Index represents blooming of lilacs and other shrubs as well as leaf out of deciduous trees. The map on the lower right shows that the Bloom Index, which predicts phenology activity at a later point in the spring, tells a different story than the Leaf index. Aside from parts of Texas, the spring bloom has arrived early across the country so far this year, including in the Southeast. 

How will spring shape up across the remainder of the country, and how will this year’s spring impact plant and animal phenology? Only time will tell!

For more information, please visit: NPN