Bring on the Spring

Yes, we know that the calendar told us that spring officially began with the vernal equinox on March 20. And yes, the crocuses have been in full bloom, bringing a welcome burst of color to the otherwise-dreary New England landscape at this time of year.

But those of us who call Eastern Massachusetts home know all-too-well that the actual spring season does not get underway until well into April and May, thanks primarily to the sea-breezes that wash over us with air that has been cooled by ocean temperatures that are only in the high 40s.

Still, with the winter of 2019 in the rear-view mirror, we can’t complain too much about the weather.

The past winter season was easy on our backs because of the lack of snow that needed to be shoveled. Power outages were almost non-existent compared to the past few years. And coastal flooding, the bane of residents in our low-lying areas, thankfully did not occur, despite the potential that existed with the extraordinarily high tides in January, February, and March because of those super moons.

Still, we know that spring can bring its share of nasty and troublesome weather events. The bombogenesis (the term refers to a weather system that essentially explodes when the barometric pressure drops 24 millibars within 24 hours) that occurred with the coastal storm that came up the Atlantic Seaboard this week thankfully stayed out to sea.

But this near-miss served as a reminder that we may not be so lucky the next time around.

Still, with mild temperatures in the forecast for the first half of April, we can’t complain — and, like hope, our thoughts of warmer weather spring eternal.