We hit the century mark here in Tucson last Thursday. By that, I mean we hit triple digits in temperature—on March 19! That’s a record—and it beat last year’s record-setting date by a whopping 23 days! It’s also the first time in recorded history that Tucson has hit the century mark in March.
Tucson also didn’t record a freeze this past winter—at all! (We often have only a handful of nights that fall below freezing, but zero has only happened three times over more than a century, including 2025–2026.) This means plants didn’t experience what passes for a winter reset here in the desert. They’re facing early triple-digit temperatures without having had much of a break.
I recently went for a walk along what’s called the Anza trail, which runs through the bosque of the Santa Cruz River near Tubac, south of Tucson. It was a warm and beautiful springlike day, even though it was still technically winter. The ground was covered in white, as you can see in the picture above—but it wasn’t snow. These are the seeds from cottonwood trees, encased in downy white cotton that settles in snowlike drifts.
And yes, the cottonwoods are seeding quite early. Mesquite and citrus trees are also blooming, filling the air with beautiful smells and abundant pollens. (Anyone with allergies is certainly feeling the effects!) I wonder what spring will bring when winter has already brought us spring…!
Naturally, all this has me thinking about climate change. More than plants and noses are affected. I’m pondering the additional stresses that triple-digit temperatures put on our planet, our communities, and our various infrastructures. As AI data centers gobble up our water and emit heat too, will future summers in the desert even be survivable?
What are you noticing about the weather in your area? As we move into spring, what concerns do you have about what’s happening across planet earth?
In northwestern Ohio the most notable change is the loss of a prolonged winter. This winter has been more severe than most winters in recent years, but it was far from the three solid months of freezing cold which was the norm before 1970. The migration dates, the bloom times, and the frosr-free dates have all changed. In the summer the main change is that the rain is less regular: dry periods are followed by heavy rains and fast run-off.
Oh my, James…that’s a lot of change! I wonder what both Ohio and Arizona will be like in another 50 years!
Peace,
Shirin
Vermont is much the same as Ohio. In the 45 years we have lived here, we have changed from growing zone 4a to zone 5b. We had a lot of snow this year, but small snows, not feet of snow. We also never had our necessary two weeks of minus temps. This means poisonous creatures will be able to migrate north and establish here. Wildlife will be strongly affected by the shift in species and plant life. We, too, are experiencing periods of drought alternating with significant flooding. It’s terrible for communities and now the federal government refuses to assist.
Our house is safe from flooding, but affected by drought. One more too dry Summer and I think we’ll want sell our sailboat (a first world problem, at least).
But, yes, we are noticing.
I highly recommend the monthly webinars from Climate Central! Climate scientist Zack Labe, PhD does a fabulous job. I have followed his work since he offered a weather blog in high school and gave more accurate forecasts than the locals.
You can see past webinars here, and sign up to Zoom live for future webinars.
https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-briefings/february-2026?fbclid=IwZnRzaAQuaNdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeyhkn8crsclHcLdUuva3_fkPW11WzYd7MCZbVUU2w9BURhuPzOh7U8eFd7k0_aem_02E3Nh48WqrFKsN3IDLIQQ
Thank you, June, for this long-term viewpoint and specific impacts–shifting growing zones is a big deal, and I’m sad about the uncertainty with your boat, since you’ve only had her a few years! Thanks also for the webinars link; it’s good to be grounded in science as we learn.
Peace,
Shirin