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If you think spring is ahead of schedule this year, you’re right. The US Weather Bureau reports that after a strong El Nino helped produce the warmest winter on record in the lower 48 states, spring is arriving up to three weeks early in much of the country.

The USA National Phenology Network, which uses temperature and weather data to track leaf-out, reports that many parts of the US are also seeing the earliest leaf-out on record, which is generally considered the first visible signs of spring. 

Warmer temperatures and an early start to the growing season has bears across much of the country waking up early as well, and looking for food.

What you can do to help:

• Take down bird feeders and clean up the surrounding area.
• Never leave unsecured trash outside. Store trash in a sturdy locked building until the morning of pick up, or in a bear-resistant container.
• Please don’t leave food out for wildlife or bears. You won’t be helping; you’ll be teaching bears a dangerous lesson. Once bears learn to associate people with food, conflicts often follow.