WASHINGTON — If you feel like Spring has started early, you're not alone. There are many trees that are blooming and we've already been dealing with some high pollen levels
On March 9, 2020, The National Phenology Network wrote:
"Spring leaf out continues to spread up the middle of the country, three to four weeks earlier than a long-term average (1981-2010) in some locations. Washington, DC and New York City are 24 days early, Nantucket is 30 days early, Louisville, KY is 2 days early and St. Louis, MO is 3 days early."
While this year may seem early, the trend for earlier and warmer springs can be seen when looking at data from 1970 to 2019.
During that time, the average Spring temperature has risen by 1.7 degrees.
The days above average in the season, March 1 - May 31, increased from the low to upper 40s, about 6 days.
And the last freeze date is now about 10 days earlier in D.C. moving from April 1 to March 22.
While many welcome the return of spring, some of the negative impacts of this are longer allergy seasons and more bugs around than there used to be.
RELATED: LOCAL FORECAST from WUSA 9 Weather Team
