Early Spring in Kansas?

The groundhog may have given a dire forecast on Groundhog's Day this year, predicting six (6) more weeks of winter, but you could not tell by the temperatures in Kansas this past week.

Temperatures have been warm enough for the first flowers of spring to pop up and rain, perhaps even a thunderstorm or two, is forecast for Monday, March 8, along with bees and other bugs flying around. Birds, such as Robins have gathered, in masse, to deprive worms of their hiding places in the ground and Cardinals, along with many other kinds of birds, spend their days serenading any who care to listen.

Thunderstorms expected in Kansas are a sure sign that frigid weather is nowhere to be found in most of parts of the state since thunderstorms need warmth in order to form. With temperatures after 10:00 PM being as high as 61 degrees in some parts of the state and only going as low as 47 degrees it does not feel like winter anymore.

According to the local news and weather reports, Kansas had been claiming temperatures well under the average for the months of January and February but March has been above average since it rolled in. Herington, KS., has already seen high temperatures in the higher 60s to low 70s which is 10 - 15 degrees above normal. Kansas is renown for it's high winds but even the wind does not seem to deter the temperatures so far this month.

Spring does not officially begin for two (2) more weeks but Kansas seems to have jumped right in, for the present time anyway. Some have even dusted off their grill for a bit of barbeque and you can smell the briquettes for miles.

For the most part it is creating quite a few smiles and people are beginning to go outside to enjoy the outdoors.

Small towns do not normally get acknowledged by local weather forecasters so if you would like a more localized temperature reading you could download weather programs such as the Weatherbug, the Weather Channel application or one of many others available.