A broad atmospheric trough, dipping through much of the U.S., has put spring on hold for the next few days. Allowing cold Canadian air to plunge across the Great Plains and Midwest, this southern dip in the jet stream is steering the latest winter storm across central latitudes of North America, a region that is often well into spring by late March.
A swath of snow, from the Rockies to the Mid-Atlantic, now coats the early spring landscape, masking the greenery that began to spread over the past two weeks. The cold air has also put a halt to the emergence of flowers and leaves across our woodlands, prolonging the barren look of winter. Even the hardy tree frogs, which were calling from chilly pools and lakeshores have been silenced by this late blast from the north.
Visiting relatives in northeastern Ohio, we have escaped the heaviest snow but are left with the cold, gray shroud of a Great Lakes winter. Five days into the astronomical spring, signs of the season are limited to longer days and snow-covered bulb plants; yet, birdsong is progressing on schedule and a hardy pair of Canada geese are incubating eggs at the edge of a marsh. We humans may loathe this harsh, unseasonable weather but the wildlife, oblivious of calendars and devoid of expectations, are not burdened by impatience. They do not share our disappointment; they know that spring has arrived.
