Can you feel it? Our spring season in Philadelphia has been getting longer and warmer.

While that warming may sound nice after the very long and cold winter we experienced, there are a few bigger issues to consider.

We are now seeing a longer pollen and allergy season, a longer mosquito and insect season, and more frequent drought and wildfire risk.

A graph showing that there are more than 17 more warm spring days than in the past in Philadelphia

Climate Central

Long-term studies now show that in 236 of the nation’s largest cities, the spring season has warmed by an average of 2.6 degrees Fahrenheit since 1970.

Here in Philadelphia, that number is even higher at 3.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Coincidentally, so far this spring, we are exactly 3.4 degrees above average.

In just a half century, we have warmed from the low-50s to the mid-50s during the months of March, April and May, and this warming trend is expected to continue.

We also have an additional 17 days each spring with above-average temperatures, but that number pales in comparison with cities across the southern U.S.

There are now 38 more days in Tampa, Florida; 34 more days in Albany, Georgia; and 37 more days in Reno, Nevada.

A bar chart showing that winter is warming the most of the four seasons in Philadelphia

Climate Central

Speaking of the South, by 2050, Philadelphia’s climate is expected to be hotter and wetter, more like Virginia and the mid-South. 

A subtle change can already be seen in our native trees, plants and animals. They are slowly migrating north of our area to a climate that more closely resembles Philadelphia 50 years ago.

Results of an in-depth analysis conducted by Climate Central, a non-partisan, non-profit scientific research group located in Princeton, New Jersey, show that human-caused climate change accounts for at least 50% of the warming.

So where does this heat come from? It is mainly the trapping of carbon pollution from fossil fuels burned for transportation, electricity, heating and cooling, manufacturing, etc.

If you think our spring feels warmer, then consider summer, fall and winter, which have all seen a bigger warming trend than spring, with winter warming the fastest. The three months from December through February in Philadelphia are now more than 5 degrees warmer than they were 50 years ago.

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