Groundhog Day is held on February 2nd ever year and according to tradition, if the groundhog sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter.
As winter recedes, the spring growing season has started to emerge in warmer climate areas, with more communities that will soon begin seeing early blossoms.
Data provided by the USA National Phenology Network shows many communities along the West Coast, Gulf Coast and Southeast are seeing the initial sprouting of leaves after the dormant winter, but the timing has differed from previous years.
For instance, the Southeast’s spring leaf-out process is 1-2 weeks later than the long-term average, while growth in states like California, Arizona and Nevada is a week or more ahead of schedule.
Spring Leaf Index Anomaly on 2/4/2025
(USA National Phenology Network / FOX Weather)
Data stems from observations of the first leaves of lilacs and honeysuckles, which are usually the first indications that a more widespread leaf outing event could be on the way.
A historic snowstorm and associated arctic blast of cold air, which impacted a wide swath of the South, is likely behind some of the delayed growth.
New Orleans saw around 8″ of snow, while communities in the Florida Panhandle reported approaching double digits.
Despite the cold weather, there were no reported significant crop losses, thanks to the heavy snowfall and the rapid rebound in temperatures, which quickly approached record highs.
Record highs map for 2/3/2025
(FOX Weather)
WHY SEASONAL ALLERGIES ARE BECOMING WORSE?
Communities where leaf production is already underway are also seeing an increase in pollen, which tends to coincide with where vegetation starts to rejuvenate.
Pollen levels in parts of Florida and Texas were reported to be extremely high, while medium to high levels were reported in the Southwest and Gulf Coast.
Allergens from trees such as junipers, maples, and oaks are responsible for most of the activity in the Southeast, while alders and ashes are more dominant in the West.
Allergy specialists estimate that over 50 million Americans experience allergic reactions, with millions of others who remain undiagnosed or untreated.
According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, pollination is occurring nearly three weeks earlier than during the 1990s and in many seasons is more extensive.
“Our results reveal that anthropogenic climate change has already exacerbated pollen seasons in the past three decades with attendant deleterious effects on respiratory health,” study authors wrote.
A woman blows her nose in Godewaersvelde, northern France on May 18, 2013, as the return of pleasant weather marks the arrival of allergenic pollen.
(PHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP / Getty Images)
WHAT SEASON DO FRUITS AND VEGETABLES GROWN IN?
New in 2025, the USA National Phenology Network has added the Late Bloom Index, which will track the progress of the conclusion of the spring season.
“This information will help us understand the length of the spring season in a particular year, as well as whether a location that sees an early start to spring also sees an early end,” the group stated.
The USA National Phenology Network has made it easy to determine how activity in your community compares to previous years. Users can search data by zip codes to determine how far ahead or behind the growing season is compared to normal.