Reported highs Thursday.
I may have just reported on the first 70s of the season yesterday, but record high temps were reached and surpassed at some locations today. A cold front that move through last night, returned and moved north as a Warm front today, this surged very mild air across the area on breezy S winds. 80s were reached at many locations for the first time this season, which is 30- to 40 degrees above normal. It actually felt quite warm outside today, it didn’t take much to break a sweat. My location also hit 80s for the first time this season today, My high temp was 80.F and a low of 47. This was the earliest 80 degree temperature in my 3-year recordings. last year my first 80 or above temperature was not reached until May 19th, which is significantly earlier then last year.
Spring Growth Report.
large Purple Crocus April 1st 2010.
I wanted to start off by showing this beautiful Purple Crocus flower, which bloomed in my garden today, I waited 3 years for these to bloom! I got them as a gift in a pot of forced spring bulbs that I got for my 17th birthday, it took some time for the bulbs to regain their strength from being forced. Crocuses are about 1-3 weeks earlier then in a typical year last year I reported the first Crocus on April 21st.
Young Weeping Willow leaves April 1st.
All the very warm weather this past week has lead to a quick start on the spring-growth season. I’ve seen many plants, trees and shrubs beginning to process of growth, and flowering. early trees like Red Maple, Aspen, are flowering or have pollen catkins blooming. Weeping Willows and Lilac bushes both have had first leaves coming out this past week. I’ve also noticed the grass in my yard is starting to turn green.
Lilac Sprouts April 1st.
I did some digging in some pictures I took last year and found out, that we were at this stage of spring-growth last year on April 21st, so we literally got a 3 week earlier start to the growing season then last year. It will be very interesting to see how this turns out, will we have Tulips in bloom before May 1st? 
South side of house Daffodil April 1st.
This is one of the blooms from the Daffodils I’ve been following here since late Feb. It took me awhile to find out what kind they were but I figured it out. These strange looking Daffodils are an heirloom verity called Van Sion Daffodil dating back to the 1800s. I got these bulbs from my Moms house in Lower Michigan, she lived at an old home site, the bulbs were from an old established clump of Daffodils which were so crowed, the barely even bloomed. They were definitely in desperate need of separation. I would say these have definitely done quite will for me so far, because out of 12 bulbs I got 3 flowers here at my first spring with these and they were planted last May. that’s a pretty good start. These were the first Daffodils to show a sign that they didn’t fall victim to the “daffodil curse” I saw that I have many other kinds and colors of Daffodils just starting to open on the south side today! I will have to post when they fully open
Things are looking great around your property, D. Thanks for the photos. Amazing how much sooner this years bloom is, eh?! Wow.