I think we can all remember Super Bowl Sundays when we had lots and lots of snow coupled with bitter weather where your nose would freeze when you were heading to that Super Bowl party.  Not this year.  In fact, Nick Merianos from WBNG-TV just released a look at the week ahead and it looks warmer than usual for early to mid February in the Binghamton area.

As I'm writing this Saturday, Nick's weather snapshot looks like this:

Quiet weather through Monday afternoon-- highs in the 40s Sunday, upper 30s Monday
• Watching potential for accumulating snow Tuesday through Wednesday
• Lake effect snow showers Thursday through Saturday
• Turning cold and breezy late week-- highs in 20s
• Frigid Arctic air likely next weekend-- highs in teens

This 2015-2016 winter will likely be known as the winter of El Nino and La Nina.  So with the mildest winter in memory, what could this mean for a Southern Tier spring?

1)  Early Maple Syrup Season -  The area's maple producers have had to bet on the weather in tapping their trees due to unusually warm temperatures this season. Trees need a good couple of weeks of hard freeze to produce.  We'll have to see how production is by the time the Marathon Maple Festival opens in the spring.

2)  Outdoor Pets and Pests -  If temperatures don’t drop low enough for long enough, there's always dangers the bugs that plagued your pet in the summer will continue to live on through the fall and winter. Tape worms could also be a big health risk.  If the weather does not change soon, expect a difficult season for mosquitoes, flea and tick control.

3)  Confused Plants and Trees - Are your flower bulbs popping up already?  When temperatures remain inconsistent and are suddenly hit by freezing temperatures, it often proves deadly for plants.

4)  Confused Wildlife -  Animals are programmed for cold temperatures in the winter.  Birds and mammals of all sizes will be out of their element and could lead to confused behavior and could summon bears and other mammals from their dens a bit earlier than usual.

5)  A Soggy Spring or Summer - If you've seen the river level of the Susquehanna and Chenango, I can't remember the last time we've seen "rock bottom" for such a long period of time in the Southern Tier.  With not a lot of winter precipitation, it could mean a very wet spring and/or summer.  We need snow, rain or a bit of both.

 

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