Spring has sprung?

The calendar says today is the first day of spring.

The thermometer seems to say otherwise.

Spring arrived at 1:48 a.m. and the forecast for the Southern Tier is for snow showers and high winds. It's hardly worth getting enthused about, but spring weather is almost always chaotic.

Many may be getting anxious to get outside and plant, but we are at least a month or more away from the normal planting time, said Lisa Massi, general manager of Massi's Gardens & Land-scaping in Painted Post.

"It's just an unpredictable time, locally," Massi said. "It's a good time to get ready for planting. But as far as planting itself, it shouldn't be done until the first frost-free date, which generally occurs in late May. That's when you can start putting flowers in the ground."

Massi said some cold weather vegetables, like potatoes, peas and carrots, can be planted in late April.

"Some people begin planting flowers in mid-May, but they are usually forced to cover them overnight or bring them indoors," Massi said.

Tim Horton, owner of Horton Landscaping in Big Flats, said he generally begins tackling lawn projects April 1.

"It's a good time to start cleaning-up, hauling away fallen limbs and other yard debris. Just get your ducks in a row for later on," Horton said. "You know what they say April showers bring May flowers."

The one place planting is in high gear is at local greenhouses.

"It's like spring in here all the time," Massi said. "The season is going great and it's wonderful that spring is here. For us, the rush really begins around Mothers Day weekend."

City, town and village crews are busy at local parks getting the facilities ready for the expected rush that occurs once the weather begins to warm up. However, temperatures are not expect to top 45 degrees through the rest of the week.