Signs of Spring 2020

[Azazel]

I’m not trying to wind up anyone looking for cold and snow and mods, if this is the wrong place to post, please feel free to move.

I often find myself at this time of year, after the festivities of Christmas are over, pining for spring.

As a sufferer of SAD, it’s a huge help to me to look for and write down any signs of spring as I notice them. In a few weeks time, I should get my first ‘Spring pang’ where I notice the subtle change in light angle/lengthening daylight.

So far, as of the 4th January, I’ve seen daffodil shoots emerging (Only a couple cm) in their usual spot and a few catkins here and there. I predict the mild weather next week will accelerate this growth.

has anyone else noticed anything?

[Methuselah]

Grass and weeds all still growing around here, Azazel.

[swfc-ocs]

Noticed grass is looking fresher and a tad longer,unbelievable really

[Azazel]

5 minutes ago, General Cluster said:

Grass and weeds all still growing around here, Azazel.

Yes I’ve noticed very much the same. Growth is slower obviously but the grass and weeds especially haven’t died away.

Everything is damp though which is gross - it’s been a very wet and mild autumn/winter period so far.

[Nick L]

Reading University posted a photo of the daffs coming up on campus the other day.

[MP-R]

Went for a walk today without a coat, which is unusual for me in winter. Although the temperature is similar to much of December, without howling wind it’s not cold at all.

Birds were also chirping away readily and there are snowdrops beginning to shoot. 

Feels more like March!

[phil nw.]

My lawn will need mowing before months end. 

[Don]

7 minutes ago, phil nw. said:

My lawn will need mowing before months end. 

My lawn needs mowing now!

[phil nw.]

1 hour ago, Don said:

My lawn needs mowing now!

Mine does really as well Don but trying to keep off it as long as possible!

[Don]

1 minute ago, phil nw. said:

Mine does really as well Don but trying to keep off it as long as possible!

Me too, plus it's still a little too soggy!

[Northernlights]

Bulbs all emerging here plus grass now putting on a real spurt . Will probably shift wintering sheep onto  fresh green new growth in the next couple  of days.Been a few times  now since the seventies when this has happened and we have not had to give supplementary feed in the form of hay or turnips. It does not augur well for this summers grass growth as all plants need a rest in winter.

Edited January 4, 2020 by Northernlights

[Dangerous55019]

I started a spring thread this early a couple of years ago, and it was immediately locked, as everyone was obsessed with hunting for the elusive snowflake... I hope that this thread doesn’t get locked... Because not all of us are obsessed with winter! 

And moving swiftly back on topic... 

I noticed yesterday that my cotoneaster has started to grow it’s new leaves. 

Couple that up with the fact that the days are now noticeably longer, and I think it’s safe to say that the signs of spring are really starting to appear now. 

 

[Don]

28 minutes ago, Dangerous55019 said:

I started a spring thread this early a couple of years ago, and it was immediately locked, as everyone was obsessed with hunting for the elusive snowflake... I hope that this thread doesn’t get locked... Because not all of us are obsessed with winter! 

We all have our weather preferences which is fine but it is winter, so now is the time for cold/snow lovers to be out in force, even if it is a waste of time this year!

When summer arrives, the heat/thunder lovers will be out in force and if it turns out to be a washout like 2012, and there are moans, you could say not everyone is obsessed with summer!

Edited January 4, 2020 by Don

[Fourty Point Three Degrees]

Im sure this thread is just going to turn into a "spring 2020" thread.

The signs of spring don't really start kicking in until Feb/March.

Edited January 4, 2020 by 38.7°C

[Norrance]

Here the small birds have been giving us a dawn chorus for the last few days. In fact chirruping through much of the night. I hope they are not in for a sharp shock at some point. Did they mistake the November frosts and relative cold for Winter and the recent warmth as Spring's arrival?

No sign of grass growth though and it has not needed a cut since early in October.

Edited January 4, 2020 by Norrance

[hillbilly]

To my surprise I have seen snowdrops before now and daffs starting to push through but no sighn as yet so not quite as early this year,maybe it is all the rain that has put them offf

[Don]

Just now, hillbilly said:

To my surprise I have seen snowdrops before now and daffs starting to push through but no sighn as yet so not quite as early this year,maybe it is all the rain that has put them offf

Early 'sneeze' season this year possibly?

[BlueHedgehog074]

Has felt quite odd this Winter so far. Doesn’t even feel like Winter has set foot properly here. Even today with some of the sunshine, it feels hard to believe it’s only early January. Feels a bit more like February or March. 

Feel like my interest in Winter has somewhat dropped over the last few years. I still enjoy Winter and the cold and snow it can bring at times. But do feel like once January progresses (this being more the case if the month hasn’t had any wintry, or dry and frosty weather), I end up badly craving Spring. So a bit like you with the pining of that season. 

The constant chasing of particular charts in the models gets exhausting during Winter and I feel like I waste a lot of time going after outlooks that can often get taken away from you. This is mostly less of a problem in Spring. And looking forward to the longer daylight hours, makes Spring especially appealing during a Winter that seems to go on forever. 

[Geordiesnow]

I'm surprised despite some milder weather that people are seeing signs of spring alll ready. Havant really noticed the grass growing around here, that may change on Tuesday mind with that exceptionally tropical air heading our way! 

Hopefully Spring won't be too early though like it was last year with that exceptional spell of weather we saw in February! 

[RJBingham]

Last weekend we went to Anglesey Abbey near Cambridge, the snowdrops were just about to flower, the daffs were up with a couple about to flower, and loads of blossom on the trees, amazing.

[Airedalejoe]

Amazing difference to here. No sign of any of the above, maybe snowdrop shoots are just breaking the surface but thats normal. We've had plenty of ice/frosty mornings so far this winter.

[trickydicky]

19 minutes ago, Airedalejoe said:

Amazing difference to here. No sign of any of the above, maybe snowdrop shoots are just breaking the surface but thats normal. We've had plenty of ice/frosty mornings so far this winter.

Same here. There’s obviously a bit of a North/Midlands south divide due to the track of all those lows that brought the flooding to South Yorkshire southwards. It’s only been since the week before Christmas that it’s been mild here, and even since Christmas we’ve had a couple of frosts. A 3 week mild spell isn’t unusual really. Prior to that, from about mid October, we’d had a lot of frost and one day of snow in most of Cumbria (though not here). The grass is starting to look maybe a little fresher but that might just be because farmers are hammering it with slurry! I don’t think there’ll be any early blossom or anything here even if it continues mild through to the end of January as we probably won’t get any sun, and it’ll be generally dark and miserable if not particularly cold. 

[Evening thunder]

At work there's plenty of daffodils flowering, but they're are an early variety so I guess you could say they are not really a sign of spring if they usually flower in winter.

[Mark Bayley]

Daffs growing here too. Also, the roses are starting to shoot. My last air frost (a paltry -0.3c) was on the 12 December. Could probably count the number of grass frosts on one hand. Knowing our luck a cold spring beckons!

[Downburst]

This morning I saw a bumble bee fly past. Two roses still with partially opened flowers, weeds growing, grass growing. Plenty of time for a sting in the tail over next 12 to 15 weeks, but this is something else.