False Spring

​This is the first year I remember experiencing false spring. It seems like everywhere else, we have gradually warmed as one would expect. This year in Kansas, it has been a roller coaster, mid-70s one day, freezing wind and snow the next - the following week, up to the mid-90s. It seems like the plants have no idea what to do. The bulbs began sprouting, and the trees began budding out in the warm weather, and then they all died off in a freeze.

I have been completely baffled by this weather. Getting dressed every morning seems to be a gamble. I wore a light sweater one day and had to change into a T-shirt. Another day, it dipped so low that I had to turn on my space heater at work. It will look like a gorgeous sunny day, but then I step outside, and it is 30 degrees.

Everyone keeps assuring me this is normal for Kansas spring, but it is making it really difficult to plan staffing at work. On warm days, the Zoo is packed, and we need extra help, and on cold, windy days, we’re empty. This roller coaster is giving me whiplash.
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The only consolation is that nature keeps pushing forward. The bulbs that froze are starting to bounce back. Birds are still looking for nesting sites. And the trees continue to fill out with bright green spring leaves. Nature’s resilience always astounds me. 

Some of the bulbs fighting false spring