Spring rushes in weeks early as winter fizzles across the U.S.

Pushed along by climate change and forces across the Pacific Ocean, spring has arrived weeks early in the South and is now reaching up the East Coast. The mainly absent winter may cheer people who hate the cold and those looking for lower heating bills. But it plays havoc with nature and agriculture. Warmer temperatures bring plants out of dormancy sooner, which can hurt migrating animals, and if a late cold blast arrives, the freeze can damage trees and their fruit. “Consistently warmer temperatures are causing wild fluctuations in the climate, which is disrupting the wildlife,” said Deborah Landau, director of ecological management for the Nature Conservancy. Across the contiguous 48 states, last month was the sixth warmest January on record. The six New England states were warmer than ever recorded.