YELLOW: When you think about harbingers of spring, does the lovely yellow forsythia bush make your list?

It does for the Farmers Almanac. ‘Forsythia are among the earliest flowers to awaken from winter’s slumber.

That’s why they’re the perfect shrub to treat a classic case of spring fever. Branches burst with golden yellow flowers before the leaves bud, usually about the same time that daffodils and other spring flowers are also budding. But forsythia bushes are more than just a harbinger of spring: they have an interesting history, and they’ve even got their own weather lore.

‘Do these sunny yellow blooms mean snow is on the way? One of the most popular bits of folklore surrounding forsythia is the saying, ‘three snows after the forsythias bloom.’

This saying most likely developed because when the forsythias bloom —during the earliest part of spring —the full transition from winter isn’t quite complete. In other words, don’t pack away those shovels when you see those little yellow flowers!’

There’s no scientific evidence to back up the claim, but when does that stop a good bit of folklore?

Here are some more bits of folklore from Clary Garden: ”Frogs will look through ice, twice.’ This is supposed to remind us that there will be two more frosts after you hear frogs in the spring.

And did Mother Nature give us clues about spring weather back in February? Turns out February fog means a frost in May. Then there’s this one, ‘Note on your calendar the first day you hear thunder or see lightning in spring … count exactly six months ahead and you can predict the first frost or snow.’