Long-range Spring Forecast Calling for Slow End to Winter

Nobody can be blamed for looking forward to the spring. It has been a brutal winter for the eastern half of the country, with no end in sight. Unfortunately for those eager for warmer temperatures and soft rainfall instead of heavy snow, the long-range forecast does not indicate that spring will arrive anytime soon for much of the U.S. Read on for the details of the long-range forecast looking ahead to spring.

What Parts of the U.S. Will Need to Wait for Spring to Arrive and Who Will See an Early Onset

The early spring 2026 forecast is here, offering a mixed bag of prognostications.  While some parts of the nation will enjoy an early arrival of spring, other areas should prepare for an extended winter season. The official day of the astronomical spring is March 20, compared to the beginning of the meteorological spring on March 1.

Residents of the northern Plains, the Midwest, and the Northeast will need to be a bit patient for spring weather to bloom. The instability of the polar vortex will be blamed on frequent intrusions of Arctic air across the northern third of the U.S. Forecasters are predicting a slow transition to consistent spring weather in a zone from the northern Rockies to the east into New England. While there will be occasional bursts of warmer air, the general weather pattern will trend on the cooler side.