While this winter has been far from the coldest, the seemingly harsh weather has been historic in one regard — it's among the snowiest on record. With Tuesday's .16 inches in Central Park, New York City has had 48 inches of snow in January and February alone, setting a new record for snowfall in the first two months of a year.
Today, however, is a balmy 45 degrees Fahrenheit, and tree buds everywhere are beginning to swell. I first noticed the Cornelian cherries (Cornus mas) in Central Park pushing sap last weekend, but in the past few days, the vernal flood gates have opened. Pregnant nodes on street trees everywhere are beginning to show.
The cycle of growth resumes.
Pyrus calleryana, Bradford Pear, buds swelling on West 101st Street in Manhattan.