Study Says March 14 Is Louisiana’s ‘Springiest’ Day

(KMDL-FM) - By late winter, many Americans start looking for signs that spring is finally settling in. While the calendar marks the official start of the season in March, the moment it truly feels like spring often arrives a little later — when temperatures warm up, daylight stretches longer into the evening, and trees begin filling with new leaves.

When Spring Really Arrives in Louisiana

Researchers at travel company Exoticca analyzed weather and climate data to estimate the “springiest” day of the year for each U.S. state — essentially the point when spring conditions tend to feel the most established.

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How Researchers Calculated the “Springiest” Day

To come up with the dates, researchers looked at three key markers: the Spring Equinox, the average date of each state’s last spring freeze, and a point roughly three weeks after that freeze when plants typically begin leafing out again. Averaging those factors produced a single date meant to represent when spring is most noticeable.

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For Louisiana, that date falls on Saturday, March 14. (Interestingly, that's the same day as Patty in the Parc.)

Why Louisiana’s Date Falls in Mid-March

Louisiana’s last freeze occurred on Saturday, February 28. When researchers factor in the typical three-week period for vegetation to rebound and grow greener, the midpoint falls in mid-March.

Across much of the southern United States, the study found that spring tends to fully settle in by mid-March. In neighboring Texas, the “springiest” point of the year lines up close to the equinox itself.

Spring Arrives Later in Northern States

Farther north, the seasonal shift takes longer. States like Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York usually reach their most spring-like conditions in the second half of April, while parts of the northern Plains and Mountain West may not reach that point until early May.

Researchers say the findings highlight how spring arrives at different times across the United States, instead moving gradually north across the country over several weeks.

Why the Study Matters

“Spring means something slightly different depending on where you live,” says Juanjo Duran, the CMO of Exoticca. “In some places, people are enjoying warm sunshine and early blossoms by February, while in others it takes until May before winter really lets go. We thought it would be a good way to encourage people to make the most of that first really perfect spring day when it arrives.”