SPRING HAS SPRUNG

Shad Fisherman below Bulls Island Dam

Forget daylight saving time, that bizarre social construct first mentioned by Ben Frankin as a satirical suggestion to the French and first implemented by the Kaiser during WWI. Once we set the clock, it's mostly forgotten.

Sure, the Vernal Equinox is two weeks away, but my ears, eyes and nose tell me that spring has arrived, announced by the territorial bird calls, smell of fresh earth, and snow drops blooming in the yard.

We can have a blizzard next week, or two weeks into astronomical spring, that wouldn't change the reality of spring for the titmouse, cardinal or crocus. Spring has sprung.

I plan to paddle the Delaware River on Monday to get a taste of this thing called spring. The river at Riegelsville is back down to a comfortable 4.43' after it's 6-foot spike to over ten feet last week. That's a little below the average daily mean. The NYC reservoir levels haven't changed significantly and are still about 84% capacity.

Meanwhile, this just off the press from the NWS:

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
FRI MAR 9 2007

NEXT WEEK IS SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN PENNSYLVANIA...

EACH SPRING BEFORE THE ONSET OF THE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD
SEASON...THE PENNSYLVANIA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY...PEMA...
COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES...AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE SPONSOR ONE WEEK OF SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS.

THIS YEAR...GOVERNOR EDWARD RENDELL HAS DECLARED THE WEEK OF MARCH
12TH THROUGH THE 16TH AS SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN
PENNSYLVANIA.

SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IS A TIME TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
THUNDERSTORMS...TORNADOES...LIGHTNING...FLASH FLOODING AND RIVER
FLOODING AND PREPARE FOR THE DANGERS THEY BRING TO PENNSYLVANIA
DURING THE WARMER PART OF THE YEAR.

AS PART OF SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
OFFICES WILL CONDUCT A SEVERE WEATHER DRILL ON THURSDAY MARCH 15TH.
THE DRILL WILL CONSIST OF (READ MORE)