For many, spring doesn't truly "start" until the first leaves emerge, a metric tracked by the USA National Phenology Network to monitor how climate change is shifting the arrival of the season. 4. Cultural and Symbolic Significance
As they worked, the sun broke through the gray clouds. It wasn’t the distant, weak sun of February. This light had weight. It pressed against Leo’s back, warm enough to make him unzip his coat. A crocus, a tiny purple spear, had pushed its way up through the matted brown grass near the porch steps. It looked fragile, yet it had shattered the hard crust of the soil to get there.
"Okay," Leo said, wiping his hands on his jeans. "I think I get it."