What do you consider “Early Spring temperatures”...and "Late Spring temperatures"? (hottest, warmest)

[MrMarbles]

Early spring: Grass turns green (in a normal year - this year grass never stopped being green ) or when high temps start to average 50F or higher. Usually happens in mid-March where I am

Mid spring: When leaves leaves sprout and become visible on most trees, cherry blossoms bloom. High temps average in the low 60s and the threat of frost is almost non-existent. Usually mid-April in NYC.

Late spring: Flowers blooming starts to decline. Summer-like days become more common. Thunderstorms become frequent. You begin using A/C.

[nei]

Originally Posted by MrMarbles

Late spring: Flowers blooming starts to decline. Summer-like days become more common. Thunderstorms become frequent. You begin using A/C.

You use A/C in late spring in NYC ? My family in Long Island never used A/C until deep summer, at the earliest late June. But I defined late spring as when it's first warm enough to open up the house (letting outdoor air will keep the house at about room temperature).

[nei]

Originally Posted by wavehunter007

I think your distinction for late spring works well (68 or 70 F is not a huge difference), and would fit with most areas not only in the USA but elsewhere. Late spring should be a time that flirts with near summer conditions – so open windows at night, no threat of any cold (under 50 F or so), and daily highs near 70 F seem to work well.

Early spring is where I think most people would find the most contrasts with each other depending on where they live. When I lived in Florida, there was really little real difference between winter and early spring temps. I guess I could make the case that when daily highs started averaging over 80 F/26.5 C it was the start of early spring in Florida. The real difference started in May, when the southerly flow would bring an increase in humidity and the rainfall would increase. So I guess I could say late spring started when highs get closer to the upper 80’s and there was a noticeable increase in rainfall and humidity.

In the NYC/coastal Ct area, to me early spring starts in early/mid April when highs get near 60 F and everything is quickly turning green again. The NYC area normally starts to see highs near 50 F by mid March, but it is still too cool for me to call it early spring. To me, while 50 F is starting to "not feel cold", it is still too cool to really feel like spring. True early spring weather should not be frosty at night as well. The 60 F isotherm doesn’t reach the Tri-State area until mid April. I really wish it was earlier. This is one of the reasons I tend to like the climates of the lower East Coast (Myrtle Beach, Atlanta...etc)... lower West Coast (Long Beach, Santa Cruze...etc)...as well as some of the desert cities (Phoenix, Tucson...etc) – by March daily highs are already in the 60’s and 70’s F (16 – 24 C) in these areas. To be honest, I normally get so excited about the ending of the cold season and the start of the warm season, that I have always seem to spend a few days/weekend somewhere down south to “greet “ the warm season.

Yes, I'm a warm weather fan

I was using "early spring" to refer what you might consider "late winter". I don't want to think it's still winter in Late March or Early April! That time of year does feel different from winter, and outdoor activities are usually more comfortable (to me).

Also, for the start of mid-spring (what you are calling early spring) it makes more sense to use nighttime temperatures. Where I live, the high temperatures reach 50°F/60°F/70°F almost the same as Long Island but the growing sense is delayed because the nights are much colder. So, if you want to define the start of spring by plant growth, you should use night temperatures.

If you do that, than my early spring and mid spring distinction should disappear for oceanic climates (such as the UK or Oregon).

[ilovemycomputer90]

Originally Posted by MrMarbles

Early spring: Grass turns green (in a normal year - this year grass never stopped being green ) or when high temps start to average 50F or higher. Usually happens in mid-March where I am

Mid spring: When leaves leaves sprout and become visible on most trees, cherry blossoms bloom. High temps average in the low 60s and the threat of frost is almost non-existent. Usually mid-April in NYC.

Late spring: Flowers blooming starts to decline. Summer-like days become more common. Thunderstorms become frequent. You begin using A/C.

Pretty much my definition as well. I also define mid-spring as when the first 70 F+ highs of the season occur (though they can happen in early spring on occasion).

Last year I started using the A/C during that warm/humid spell at the end of May, but most of June was pretty nice and didn't require much A/C use.

[dunno what to put here]

Looking at historical data for the defunct Leeds Weather Centre first 20c/68f doesn't usually occur here until early May.

In some years we've had to wait until June before 20C/68F was reached, and in some years 25C/77F was never reached

[MrMarbles]

Originally Posted by nei

You use A/C in late spring in NYC ? My family in Long Island never used A/C until deep summer, at the earliest late June. But I defined late spring as when it's first warm enough to open up the house (letting outdoor air will keep the house at about room temperature).

Not every day of course but there is enough variability that on some days high temps will go well into the 80s in May. Combined with the sun, that can create uncomfortable conditions indoors without ac.

[susancruzs]

Good description, Mr.M! It will be interesting to see what March brings!

[nei]

Originally Posted by MrMarbles

Not every day of course but there is enough variability that on some days high temps will go well into the 80s in May. Combined with the sun, that can create uncomfortable conditions indoors without ac.

I thought you meant more on most days.

Makes sense, spring is very variable. Also depends on the set up of your house. My parent's house is mostly shaded and we're all on the ground floor; the upstairs is rarely used, so one hot day didn't heat things up too much. Spring days tend to have cooler nights and lower humidity, though if you're in NYC, the heat island might push the night temperatures up.

Up in interior New England, some hot spring days have huge diurnal ranges. I remember in April 2010, we got a day with a high around 90 and a low in the low 40s. Not only did I not want A/C (though I don't own one), I shut the windows at night (or to a crack) to keep it from getting too cold. So that day was not a late spring day; it was too cold.

[wavehunter007]

Originally Posted by MrMarbles

Early spring: Grass turns green (in a normal year - this year grass never stopped being green ) or when high temps start to average 50F or higher. Usually happens in mid-March where I am

Mid spring: When leaves leaves sprout and become visible on most trees, cherry blossoms bloom. High temps average in the low 60s and the threat of frost is almost non-existent. Usually mid-April in NYC.

Late spring: Flowers blooming starts to decline. Summer-like days become more common. Thunderstorms become frequent. You begin using A/C.

I like this one for late spring. In my location about 50 miles east of NYC this fits well. Late spring is when the boomers start again and the flowers start to fry in the sun - lol. Still, I don't use the AC except at night when its above 80 F.

[Patricius Maximus]

I would consider a "Spring" to only exist in four-season climates that have a winter to transition out of and a summer to transition into, seeing as Spring is a transition season. That encompasses most of North America. My own definitions are rather complicated, seeing as there are multiple shades and grades and kinds of weather that make up a Spring.

There's also the issue that we actually have "two Springs" -- what Alaskans may call Spring is a breakup season, and what someone from, say, Virginia would call Spring is a blooming season. This is the same season that is considered Summer in Alaska, and the breakup-like weather persists during the "Winter" in much of the U.S.

As for myself, I consider these to constitute the differing stages of Spring. This is for universal application and does not reflect typical weather at a certain location, although the early and late descriptions may be adjusted depending on winter warmth:

Breakup - This is the time that the snowpack melts and temperatures frequently rise above freezing, sometimes to 40 or 50 F in a warm wave. Greening of grass is usually but not necessarily absent.

Early Spring or my own "High Spring" - The archetypal weather for this period is 40's and 50's Fahrenheit. Warmer periods above 60 F or even 70 F are commonplace as are cold snaps down into the 20's F and snowstorms that usually melt a few days after the snowfall. Rain or snow may occur, unlike the snow-dominated winter. The snowpack is gone by now. The grass turns green. Hardier plants may come out of dormancy but for the most part vegetation remains dormant.

Mid Spring - Although this is not a distinct stage of weather, this is the time when trees come out of dormancy, and blooming reaches its peak. Flowers give way to the fresh Spring leaves. Rain is now the most common form of precipitation, with snow still very possible but not the rule.

Late Spring - Blooming and sprouting winds down but is still occurring. Trees still have new Spring leaves on them and have not darkened to Summer leaf. More tender vegetation comes out of dormancy and may bloom now. High temperatures prevail in the 60's F with drops to the 50's or rises to the 70's commonplace, but not long-lasting. Precipitation is now almost exclusively rain. Snow may still occur but is uncommon, as are freezing temperatures. Frosts (33-39 F) are still common. Conditions in this period first become favorable for severe thunderstorm outbreaks. The grass reaches full summer color.

At this late stage there isn't much difference with the coming Summer. Summer arrives and Spring ends at the first 3-day stretch of maximums that crack 70 F. At this point there is overlap between early Summer and late Spring, much as there is overlap between late Winter and early Spring. After this point blooming is diminished and the vegetation transitions to Summer leaf. Summer is in full effect once highs average 70+ F and lows average 50+ F. Beyond this there is too much divergence between locations, as the summer intensity varies and that's another topic entirely. Some locations such as the subtropics have very long Summers, stretching from April to October, whereas places like Alberta just make the criteria, with the uncommon Summer frost and on rare occasions getting Summer snow. Subarctic climates never progress much beyond the Spring phase and many never get past the Spring-like season and don't transition to Summer.

By the way, if you're having no cold snaps and consistent warm to hot temperatures necessitating use of air conditioning, that's Summer, not late Spring; I don't care where you're located or what time of year it is. People all too often conflate Spring weather with Summer weather, as The Weather Channel did in 2011 when it showed pictures of people sunbathing and licking popsicles on March 21 as images of Spring; that's Summer. The prototypical Spring (and all Springs to a large degree) are a transition season from a real Winter to a real Summer; in other words, you will have Winter-like weather and Summer-like weather, with the former diminishing in frequency and intensity and the latter increasing in frequency and intensity, with both occuring to some degree throughout the season. Consistent heat and warmth doesn't cut it.

That's my take on what Spring is like.