Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter! However, our maps of heat accumulation provide a more scientific look at how much heat has accumulated so far this year, and what's next. Heat accumulation is ahead of schedule in the Southeast and parts of the West and Great Plains, behind schedule in other parts of the West and southern Midwest states. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center predicts warmer than average temperatures and lower than average precipitation in the Southwest and Southeast, below average temperatures and above average precipitation in the Northwest, and above average temperatures and above average precipitation in the Midwest and Northeast.
And Nature's Notebook observers are already seeing early spring activity including breaking leaf buds, initial growth, and open flowers on several species across the country. Explore which species are showing activity in the dashboard below.