Did you know that the month of March has been renamed “Sprinter”? Well, at least it should be. This is a transition month between spring and winter that has several features all its own. It’s the time of the biggest transition in temperature in the shortest length of time each year. The meteorologists say that spring begins on March 1, and astronomers say it isn’t spring until March 20 or so. But as any good gardener will tell you, spring starts when we can get outside and start digging.
We don’t really need the month of March. All people do is complain about the weather and mope around in a foul mood because winter seems to be marching slowly on. What we do need is the more optimistic new season called Sprinter. Even saying its name will brighten the gardener’s spirit.
Sprinter is a season of extremes, even in years without the influence of the infamous brother and sister team, El Niño and La Niña. All of the different types of weather that can occur in an area during a full year can happen during a single Sprinter. Weather turnarounds are common during this fast-paced season. The record-low temperatures of one week can easily be matched by record highs before Sprinter is over.
Heavy wet snow, thunderstorms, and tornadoes are common during Sprinter when moisture from the Pacific Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico runs up a mountain or over the top of an Arctic cold front. Fortunately, snows in Sprinter are generally good for plants. Snow provides insulation from cold Sprinter air and provides moisture for growth when warm weather finally comes. Sprinter snows can easily pile up six or more inches in just a few hours, but in the same length of time, they can melt completely away.
Usually, Sprinter is only about six weeks long, but sometimes it will stretch to eight. Sure signs that Sprinter is underway are easy to find if you watch for them in the natural world.
New flowers will begin sprinting to the surface, especially crocuses, daffodils, and the appropriately named snowdrops.
New Sprinter birds will be crossing the migrational finish line in your yard, from robins to hummingbirds. They’re much more reliable than mammals in the woodchuck family at predicting the weather. These early Sprinter arrivals are trying to be first in line for breeding territories. They may be putting themselves at risk, because of a quick turnaround in Sprinter weather.
Indoors, you know Sprinter is in full swing when you see ladybugs, stinkbugs, or boxelder bugs. They warm up and crawl the wrong way, and instead of going outside, they end up crawling on the curtains.
Sunny days during Sprinter send the spring lover’s heart soaring. Unfortunately, Sprinter is the teasin' season. A true Sprinter day will be windy and overcast, and it may be sleeting.
Kite flying is often at its best during Sprinter. Another sure sign of Sprinter is mud. While the ground is still frozen two inches down, the top has thawed and been rained on. Sprinter isn’t a good season for the combination of new lawns and puppies.
While March lives up to its name and is a slow-paced time of year, we can sprint through this new season. Or, we can accept it as a fun time of year when we can enjoy a little of everything on the weather menu.
