when does the weather start warming up
In most places, the weather starts noticeably warming in late winter through early spring, then feels reliably mild by late March to late April, depending on where you live.
Quick Scoop: When It Starts To Warm Up
1. The general pattern
- In the Northern Hemisphere , February is usually the last fully cold month; average highs start climbing through March and April.
- Many people say it feels like spring once daytime highs sit roughly in the 10–20°C (50–68°F) range on most days, instead of hovering around freezing.
- There are often “false springs ”: a few warm days in March or April, then a snap back to cold or even snow.
One Reddit user in southern Ontario says spring begins for them once highs stay above freezing (around 5–10°C), but they still sometimes see snow even in May.
2. How it looks on the thermometer
Using long‑term averages for some U.S. cities, you can see the ramp‑up from winter into spring.
| City | Feb 1 avg high | Mar 15 avg high | Apr 15 avg high | May 15 avg high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 55°F | [1]66°F | [1]74°F | [1]81°F | [1]
| Dallas–Fort Worth | 59°F | [1]68°F | [1]76°F | [1]83°F | [1]
| New York City | 40°F | [1]49°F | [1]62°F | [1]71°F | [1]
| Chicago | 32°F | [1]47°F | [1]59°F | [1]70°F | [1]
| Phoenix | 69°F | [1]78°F | [1]85°F | [1]94°F | [1]
- Late February–mid March – You start getting more days above freezing, with a few genuinely mild afternoons.
- Late March–April – Many mid‑latitude places reach the “light jacket” zone: highs in the 50s–60s°F (10–20°C).
- May – In much of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, shorts‑weather days arrive more often than not.
3. What forecasters and forums say
- UK forecasters define meteorological spring as March 1 to May 31, reflecting when average temperatures and daylight are rising.
- Forum discussions from colder regions (like upstate New York or upstate university towns) often say it doesn’t feel warm until late March or even April, and that a surprise cold spell can still show up after that.
- On weather forums, people commonly describe “real spring” as when temperatures are consistently mild for at least a couple of weeks, not just one random warm day.
One commenter notes that in their area, it “won’t feel warmer until late March,” with 40s°F becoming more frequent, and by May you can sometimes switch to shorts.
4. Climate‑trend angle
- Analyses of recent decades show that all seasons are warming , and in many U.S. locations winters are warming fastest.
- That doesn’t mean every year warms earlier; instead, it shifts the average , while individual years can still be unusually slow to warm up or flip back to cold.
5. Simple takeaway (Northern Hemisphere)
If you just want a practical feel:
- Expect the first hints of warmer weather in late February to March.
- Expect it to feel reliably spring‑like in many places sometime between late March and late April.
- Expect some fake‑out warm spells and late cold snaps along the way.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.