Does an Early Winter Mean Early Spring in Minnesota?

When we get this cold this early in the season, it starts to feel like we are heading into a time of something like 6 months of winter.  That isn't great in anyone's book. Even people who say they absolutely LOVE winter, this can get a little old in late March and early April.  At that time we are all pretty much ready for a transition into Spring and Summer weather.

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So, when it does get this cold and snowy this early, it is technically still Fall, by the way, does that mean that we will get an early Spring?

THIS ANSWER MIGHT NOT BE THE ONE YOU HOPED FOR

According to the NOAA climate prediction center and their seasonal outlook, that does not look good.  In fact, it looks like we might have lower than normal temperatures running through the beginning of Spring.  That's not great news.  That means that the summer season is just that much shorter.  Plus, if this happens again next year, we will be stuck with only like 3-4 months of Spring and Summer combined.  Then back to winter.

HAVE WE BEEN SPOILED THE LAST FEW YEARS

The last two years, for sure, have been really mild.  There were a couple of weeks where it was cold, but for the most part, it was mild with lower snow totals that what we really have.  And I am the first one to say that no snow means better and easier driving conditions.  But there are also things that are better when we do have a more normal winter.  We live in a cold(ish) climate, and we are supposed to have what we are supposed to have environmentally speaking.

So, even though some of us like the milder temps and less snow accumulation, we actually need those things to be normal so that the plants, animals, water, etc functions as they should.  I think we all appreciate the pest control that happens when we have a normal winter.