No Golden Snowball This Year

In the midst of turmoil in our government and a possible pandemic of something originally known as the "coronavirus", spring made a temporary visit to the Southern Tier of New York State today.

The sun was out. And it was (sort of) warm.

It seemed everyone was out and about, soaking up the 50 degree F (10C) temperatures.  The walking trails were crowded.

Vestal Rail Trail, Vestal, New York

True, it will be a while before the snowpiles are gone.

Vestal Rail Trail, February 23, 2020

But the trees were responding to signals we humans do not pick up.  I am sitting in my yard, in fact, as I blog this, and I am looking at a tree glowing in the sun.  Its sap is rising.

Soon enough, it will be cold again. We also can have some of our worst snowstorms in March.  Right now, though, we are some 25 inches (63.5 cm) below normal in our snowfall.

We sit in the middle of the Golden Snowball statistics (the Golden Snowball is an informal competition between five cities in upstate New York for most snowfall in the season.)  Rochester is in the lead, and even they are below normal.

But I was thinking of all those walkers out today, even if the breeze took some of the heat out of the air.

Spring, New York pleads,  please don't tarry!