Climate change brings early arrival of spring blossoms

The white azaleas have blossomed in our yard, and February's not yet gone.

Each year, I welcome these heralds of spring.

Once the delicate blooms arrived in April. Now, with mild winters from global warming, the flowers' natural clocks are out of balance.

My joy at the azaleas' return now comes with uneasiness at changes in seasonal rhythms that were constant for centuries.

The early arrival of spring blossoms is as ominous a sign of climate change as extreme weather.