Spring Has Already Sprung, Sort Of, In Southeastern United States

Areas in red are already seeing signs of spring in the
form of early leaf formation in some plants. This
is weeks ahead of schedule 

 If you're pining for spring, here's a bit of encouragement:

One way of measuring the progress of spring has determined that the season has already arrived in parts of the Southeast.  

Much of the nation has had a warm winter. The Southeast has been really basking in the balmy season. The result is that boy at least one measure, spring is running as much as three weeks ahead of schedule in the Deep South. 

The National Phenology Network monitors the progress of the seasons based on the bloom times of various plants and shrubs. 

Their first leaf index is based on how things like lilacs and honeysuckles are doing. These are among the first plants that show leaves in the spring. The index refers to first leafing of early spring shrubs and the other plants.  

In a February 6 update, the National Phenology Network said spring leaf out is continuing to spread north in the southern states, and has reached as far north as Charlotte, North Carolina and Norfolk, Virginia. The northward reach of leaf out is two to as much as three weeks earlier than normal. 

Many places in the Southeast are so far having their earliest spring on record, or at the very least the earliest spring in 40 year.  This region had one of their warmest Januaries on record. After a brief cooldown in the first days of February, it's warm again, and forecasts call for above normal temperatures there at least into the middle of this month. 

We do have one area in the United States that is behind schedule with the first stirrings of spring. Parts of southern Arizona are up to two weeks behind schedule due to a cool, cloudy winter so far in that neck of the woods.