The groundhogs have had their say on when spring will arrive (though Buckeye Chuck and Punxsutawney Phil disagreed). Now it’s time for the skunks.
Skunk cabbages, that is.
According to a recent Facebook post from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, skunk cabbage — the state’s first wildflower of spring — has been spotted at Gallagher Fen State Nature Preserve near Springfield in Southwest Ohio.
So when will the warmer weather arrive? Here’s what to know.
What is skunk cabbage?
Skunk cabbage “is the first native wildflower to bloom in spring, often when snow and ice are still present,” according to ODNR’s website.
They flower first, producing enough heat to melt any surrounding snow and ice. As the flowers fade, foul-smelling leaves emerge. By late spring and summer, large colonies of skunk cabbage are conspicuous because of the stench.
Skunk cabbages grow in the soggy soil of wooded wetlands, and are found throughout Ohio. They are more frequent in Northeast Ohio and scarcest along the Ohio River.
When is the first day of spring 2026?
Spring will officially arrive on Friday, March 20, 2026.
That’s the date of the vernal equinox, when both hemispheres of the Earth receive the same amount of daylight, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. It marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, with the days getting longer, and the start of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, with the days getting shorter.
How many weeks until spring?
As of Feb. 24, the equinox bringing the first day of spring is a little more than three weeks away.
What does the Old Farmer’s Almanac forecast for spring?
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, we’re set for warm start to spring this year.
Temperatures will be warmer than normal across the Buckeye State, which the almanac divides between the Lower Lakes region to the north and the Ohio Valley to the south. However, there will be a difference in rainfall, with below average precipitation forecast in the Lower Lakes but more rain than normal in the Ohio Valley.
When do we spring forward in 2026? When does daylight saving time start and we change the clocks?
Daylight saving time, when we set our clocks ahead an hour to extend the amount of sunlight later into the evening, is another sure sign of spring.
In 2026, it will begin at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 8, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
When does summer start?
While some people just want winter to be over and spring to begin, others are looking forward to the heat of summer.
Summer officially begins on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.
The June solstice occurs at 4:24 a.m. on Sunday, June 21, 2026, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. That’s the moment in the Earth’s orbit when the North Pole is at its maximum tilt (about 23.5 degrees) toward the sun, resulting in the most amount of daylight hours and shortest night of the calendar year in the Northern Hemisphere.
In the Southern Hemisphere, the solstice marks the start of winter, with the least amount of sunlight and the longest night of the year.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: When does spring start? Ohio has a stinky sign of warmer weather
Reporting by Chad Murphy, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
