Early blooms sweeps the nation

Today marks the first day of Spring, and this year, nature is in a hurry, with flower blooms appearing early across various parts of the United States.

From the Great Plains and the Southern Midwest to California’s Sacramento Valley, plants are leafing out and flowers are blooming weeks ahead of schedule seeing the earliest spring leaf out on record.

In the mid-Atlantic the second earliest cherry blossom bloom in Washington, D.C.’s history.

This early bloom highlights the ongoing trend of shifting phenology patterns, potentially influenced by factors such as climate change and weather variability.

In Jacksonville, our wet winter and cool to near average temperatures during this El Nino winter have contrasted with the warmer than average temperatures in other areas north of Florida.

Across North Florida, azalea bushes are sporting their vibrant colors on schedule or just slightly delayed by a few days.

According to The National Phenology Network, which tracks the timing of spring blooms by gathering observations from volunteers and using satellite data, our local 2024 spring bloom or leaf out arrived 3 days later than average.

The First Leaf Index is based on the leaf out of lilacs and honeysuckles, which are among the first plants to show their leaves in the spring. This Index is associated with the first leafing of early-spring shrubs and other plants.