The feel that spring has arrived comes differently to different people. To a gardener, spring is the blooming of garden flowers.
To a forester, spring is when tree canopies have filled with new green leaves.
To a farmer, spring means corn plants are up and growing.
To a meteorologist, the feel of spring comes when dewpoint temperatures start climbing. Wednesday, April 12th, morning dewpoint temperatures from the Oklahoma Mesonet were in the low sixties across southern Oklahoma. At many locations in central and northern Oklahoma dewpoints were in the upper fifties.
The dewpoint temperature change between Tuesday and Wednesday mornings was dramatic. Across southern and central parts of the state, many dewpoint temperatures were 18 to 20 degrees higher.
For plant pathologists, spring’s arrival means an increasing chance for disease problems. On Wednesday, April 12th, the very first pecan scab infection hour was recorded in Oklahoma at Hugo. Infection hours require warm, humid conditions, times when the air temperature is at or above 70 degrees Fahrenheit and the relative humidity is at or above 90 percent.
The Spring Equinox was March 20th in 2017, when the sun crossed the Equator moving northward. Climatologists mark the beginning of the spring season on March 1st. Like so many things in life, there are the definitions and there are the experiences. The days of spring have their own right feel for each of us.