CONNECTICUT, USA — There are many ways to define the start of spring.
For the earliest among us, it's the beginning of meteorological spring, on Mar. 1. For most, it's astronomical spring, on the date of the vernal equinox.
But there's another way to track when spring has really sprung: the first widespread reports of leaf out.
The USA National Phenology Network has a vast array of models that estimate spring's progress.
Their first leaf index is based on the leaf out of lilacs and honeysuckles, which are among the first plants to show their leaves in the spring.
The index is associated with the first leafing of early-spring shrubs and other plants, according to the USA NPN website.
They take this data and compare it to historical averages. This year, it was a sluggish start to spring across the southeast, but it's progressed northward rapidly.
Most of Connecticut saw its first leaves about a week early.
Spring bloom is also monitored. It arrived in southern states; days to a week late in Texas and Florida, but more than a week early in parts of Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia, according to the USA NPN.
Ryan Breton is a meteorologist at FOX61 News. He can be reached at rbreton@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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