Naturalist's Corner - Spring Teaser Weather

I was delighted by this article in the Spring 2026 issue of The Rattlesnake Buzz, a quarterly newsletter from Iowa’s Allamakee County Conservation Board (ACCB).  Ross Geerdes, the Director of the ACCB and the Driftless Area Education and Visitor's Center, wrote a great piece about how spring's fluctuatioin temperatures are both a challenge and a promise to both naturalists and those who love the outdoors. 

By way of introduction of himself, the ACCB and the Center, Ross writes: "I have been with the Allamakee County Conservation Board sine 2013. I was the first full time naturalist with the county. The Allamakee County Conservation Board's education program began offering in-school programs in the fall of 2013 that included live animals, hands on activities, and environmental education programs designed to fit the curriculum and lessons the teachers were already offering to the students. We also began increasing public programming with programs such as kayaking, Fullmoon Snowshoeing, prairie hikes and The Summer Naturalist Speaker series. 

In 2017, with the opening of the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center we continued to work with schools in Allamakee County to offer in school programs while expanding our offerings to schools in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa to offer field trips to the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center. In 2023, after the retirement of longtime Director Jim Janett, I was promoted to the Director role. We currently oversee the managment of 28 parks, boat landings, and public areas in Allamakee County. Our parks offer users access to the Upper Iowa River, the Yellow River, the Mississippi River Fish and Wildlife Refuge, as well as many coldwater trout streams offering year round outdoor activities for residents of Allamakee County and the midwest." You can read more about what the Conservation board and visitor Center offers at their website. This article is reprinted with permission.

Spring Teaser Weather: When Winter Isn’t Quite Done With Us 

by Ross Geerdes

View of Village Creek from the Driftless Center

As I sit down to write this article, the staff from the ACCB is finishing cleaning up from a late winter storm that left the Driftless Area with nearly a foot of snow. This massive snow dump comes in the wake of a February warm spell that saw temperatures reaching 60 degrees for highs and the mid 40s for the overnight low. While warm spells are not uncommon for many of us, they are just a tease; so before you reorganize your closet, remember that spring teasers are famous for keeping us guessing.

A “spring teaser” is a brief stretch of unseasonably warm, pleasant weather that pops up in late winter or very early spring. Temperatures may climb 15–25 degrees above average for a few days, causing the snow to melt away. Fishermen begin to exchange their ice augers for their trolling motors, gardeners may start their indoor seeds and sow their early season seeds like garlic and onions. Even people who don’t maintain a life list of birds begin to notice the arrival of robins and bluebirds while the grass looks just a shade greener. Then as suddenly as the warm air appears the cold air returns, snow blankets the ground, and we rush to protect our newly emerging plants.

Spring teasers are emotionally powerful and the psychological shift is real: longer daylight, warmer temperatures, and birdsong all signal change. Not only is the sun powerful to humans but if you listen to a cardinal sing or see a turkey they seem to have a bit more pep in their step! Perhaps they are saying “We made it!” After months of gray skies and long underwear, even two sunny days can lift moods and spark optimism. Driftless Area residents begin to don shorts, even if it is only 50 degrees, campers open the window to air out the mothballs, runners swap treadmills for trails, and local ice cream shops quietly reopen their windows.

While these warm stretches feel wonderful, they can create a few challenges. Believe it or not, wintertime provides conservation agencies with a chance to do projects that may not be possible at other times of the year.

When the days begin to warm and the sap begins to flow in trees, you may look forward to tapping your sugar maple trees; however, the flowing sap puts an end to timber stand improvement. TSI, as we call it, is the selective cutting of trees to inhibit the growth of other trees. Every fall and winter staff walks our woods with an Iowa DNR Forester and we mark trees to be cut. We do this to help the growth of higher-priority trees, oftentimes oak or walnut.

We also manage some of our forests for white pine trees. White pines are native to Iowa, but most of the white pines around Iowa have been planted 20, 30, or maybe 40 years ago. In areas like Waterville Pines Park and Waterville Farm 55 we have naturally occurring white pine trees that date back prior to Iowa’s statehood. By removing other trees from around these native white pines we can ensure that they are healthy and vigorous to give off seed to provide for the growth of new native strain white pine trees.

Spring’s back-and-forth pattern is part of the seasonal transition. Atmospheric patterns are still battling between lingering winter air masses and strengthening spring warmth. According to the Iowa State Extension office, the annual last frost for Allamakee County is somewhere around April 26 —this means you may not need to wear your long underwear anymore, but the mornings are still frosty. The sun will quickly warm things up after it rises, but the afternoons cool just as quickly when the sun drops below the bluff top. During these times hypothermia is a real concern and dressing in clothing made of materials like wool can keep you warm even if you do work up a sweat. We like to joke about forecasters being wrong all the time, but in the springtime it is important to check forecasts frequently, especially if you’re traveling or have outdoor plans like hiking or fishing.

Spring teasers can feel like nature is playing tricks on us, though they do serve as a promise—spring is coming and SOON. Each warm spell tends to last a little longer. Each cold snap becomes a little less intense. Now it won’t be long before the mushrooms will be popping and the turkeys will be done gobbling!