"Tulips"

by Anne Geddes

The Witches' Almanac:  Spring Equinox 2002

March 2002:  Mild mornings and balmy afternoon breezes bring the promise of spring throughout the South, also the path of vigorous storm systems this year.  Soaking rains are welcome there to offset the four-year drought.  Lightning frequently flashes in the eveneing sky throughout the mid South and Ohio Valley later in the month, and a tornado outbreak can sweep across Oklahoma and north Texas.  The snow pack lingers past the equinox in New England and upstate New York.  Higher peaks in the Rockies sparkle with late season snow, while mild downslope winds bring early warmth to Denver and the rest of the Western Plains.  March rainfall is heavy in Southern California and snowfalls can cascade to depths exceeding ten feet in the Sierra Nevada.

April 2002:  An extended spell of wet weather will bring renewal to parts of the East, also suffering from a four-year drought.  The rains are particularly welcome in the Southeast, where rivers rise and lakes swell to bank tops.  Sparkling sunshine will bring azaleas to full bloom by the 15th in Atlanta and Washington D.C. at month's end.  The same system brings late season snow to New England, bowing northern pines.  The Great Lakes and Plains States enjoy cool days with a bracing breeze, and the threat of frost extends through the month.  The Rocky Mountain West welcomes early warmth.  The snow melt is fast and sparkling river rapids are particularly thrilling this year.  West Coast storms still sweep ashore with a tremendous snowfall likely in the Sierra Nevada, and it's a windy month in the San Francisco Bay Area.

May 2002:  The rainy weather pattern established earlier in the spring migrates north.  Occasional thunderstorm outbreaks still occur in the South and the risk of tornadoes is higher than usual.  Cool, misty weather is common from New England to the Great Lakes.  Mariners should heed gale warnings on several occasions at mid month.  East winds chill to the bone in Coastal Maine and Massachusetts, and maple trees in the area are in full bloom by the 10th.  Sunny, seasonable weather is prevalent throughout the Great Lakes States, while the stage is set for a dry summer in the Central and Northern Great Plains.  Remarkably, rain and wind still prevail on the West Coast and high surf thrills visitors to the Pacific Coast Highway.  A large outbreak of tornadoes touch down in Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma.

He capers, he dances, he has

eyes of youth, he writes verses,

he speaks holiday,

he smells April and May.

~SHAKESPEARE~