Spring has sprung and the outdoors are calling

Now that spring has sprung, the weather is warming, and the animals are awakening. We find ourselves itching to get outside and, once outside, we’re either sneezing or reaching for the umbrella — fun.

Spring is most known for Spring Break, Easter, Passover, weddings and warmer, longer days.

As the temperatures warm up, pollen and thunderstorms start to develop and build up. Pollen is a huge factor as the trees, plants and flowers start to grow and bloom.

While pollen issues are everywhere, allergies are inescapable even if you aren’t “allergic”. Websites, such as Pollen.com, can help determine which allergens are high, medium and low in your area as well as help with resources to help you feel better.

Sadly, spring wouldn’t be spring without pollen.

RELATED: Are you sneezing, and wondering why the pollen is so high? Let me help!

Fun Fact: The word spring is a shortened derivative of the Old English word “springan,” meaning “to leap, burst forth, fly up; spread grow”, according to the Online Etymology Dictionary.

Is Spring the wettest season?

The increased chance for thunderstorms in the spring is because as the temperature warms up, more moisture is in the air. Constantly changing temperatures causing warm air to rise is the main factor in storm creation. Be prepared for lots of mud and the possibility of severe weather, including hail and tornadoes, during the spring months.

However, the spring isn’t the wettest time of year in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, with only 12.06″ officially from March 1 to May 31, 2023. We receive the most rainfall amounts from June through October, according to the National Weather Service.

Just because it seems like it rains more in April, the rainfall accumulation is less than other months later in the year beginning in June.

Fun Fact: While March isn’t typically “hot,” March 27 was one of seven days at or above 90 degrees in 2023 when the temperature reached 90 degrees. While, the lowest temperature in March 2023 was 33 degrees on March 16, before Spring officially started.

Butterflies and birds flying by

Perhaps you’re seeing more butterflies and birds flying through your neighborhood. If you haven’t yet, you will. Migration begins in the spring. According to BirdCast, on the first day of Spring, March 19, 2024, 324,100 birds crossed through Duval County, all heading north, between 11:20 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. March 20. Historically, the busiest time of migration is mid-April to mid-May.

Fun Fact: When we don’t have cloudy skies, you may see more birds in flight over our region 30 to 45 minutes after sunset.