When Will It Start To Feel Like Spring: Farmers’ Almanac Outlook

ACROSS AMERICA — Meteorological spring starts Wednesday, and the first official day of spring isn’t until the vernal equinox on March 20. But when will it start to feel like spring?

It may be a good idea to hold off on spring garden cleanup and let fallen leaves protect ornamental plants a little longer in many areas of the country, according to the Farmers’ Almanac long-range spring weather forecast.

The first day of spring is likely to feel more like winter in much of the country. The exceptions are in far western states Washington, Oregon, Idaho and the Southwest, and the Northeast. Temperatures are expected to be mild in both regions of the country.

Almost everyone else should be prepared to “shiver and shovel,” according to the forecast for a “soggy, shivery spring ahead.”

People living in the nation’s midsection should prepare for an active spring. In the Great Lakes states, that’s likely to mean more snow into April. In the heartland, frequent heavy-to-severe thunderstorms are predicted.

Southeast states are likely in for a wet March in a weather pattern that will spread north and west from April through June.

• Related: Winter Isn’t Done Yet: AccuWeather Spring Forecast