Monday, March 20th was the first day of spring! Although I should be excited that one of the happiest times of the year is finally upon us, I am constantly reminded that there is no such thing as spring in the (cold) state of Wisconsin. Just take a look outside of your window right now. What do you see? Tulips? Kids playing outside? Birds? As much as we wish this is what we saw, the reality is that there is a foot of snow on the ground. Here are the five signs of spring in Wisconsin.

1. People finally decide to take down their Christmas lights.

This has been on our list of things to do since New Year’s Day, but nobody was willing to face the 10-degree weather to trudge through the snow just to take down the Christmas lights. So now, when the temperature is finally reaching the 50s, we choose to trudge through the mud to finally take down the lights.

2. Shorts and Sandals when there is still snow on the ground

At some point, we all get fed up with the cold. Maybe mother nature will listen to us if we start dressing like it is spring, right?

3. When it reaches 50 degrees, the heater turns off and the windows open

As soon as it hits 50 degrees, we all open up the windows in our houses. That gross air has been trapped in our houses since October so it is time to get some fresh air!

4. You hear the Harley riders

As soon as it’s warm enough, the Wisconsin motorcycle riders take every chance to go out for a spin. Something about hearing the sound of a motorcycle always reminds me that summer is just around the corner!

5. Slush, slush, and more slush

The warm weather has arrived and the snow is finally melting! However, it is not very pleasant when every time you step outside of the house, you are stepping in the gross grey slush.