(WKBN) — It is no secret that the 2022-2023 winter was extremely warm. Despite some cooler temperatures in March, spring blooms are well ahead of schedule in the eastern United States. How early is this spring compared to others and how close are the blooms to the Valley?
First, let’s take a look at how early the spring of 2023 is compared to average. The warmer-than-average temperatures during the winter jump-started to spring across the southeast. This has now spread into much of the Midwest including the Valley. The map below shows how the timing of the first spring leaf bloom compares to the average. Notice that spring is around three weeks early in the southern half of Ohio and around a week early here in Youngstown.
You can view maps like this and many more by visiting the National Phenology Network website.
Normally, the date of the first leaf in the Valley is in late March or early April on average. Therefore, we are only a few days to maybe a week ahead of schedule. The colder-than-average temperatures in the early weeks of March likely delayed the start time of spring in our area.
One of the best summertime plants is the honeysuckle due to its smell and beautiful appearance. There are multiple types of honeysuckle that begin to bloom at different times of year. The Zambelli Honeysuckle has already started to bloom across our area. Here is what the bloom map looks like across the Midwest.
The first leaf bloomed across the Valley around mid-to-late March and thanks to some warm temperatures that have continued in recent weeks. The weather this coming week is going to bust spring wide open across the Valley. Temperatures will be pushing 80 degrees as we head into the latter half of the work week.
