Congratulations, Cleveland. You’re in the home stretch and the worst is behind you.  Astronomical spring arrives on March 19. True spring, however, that’s more of a feeling. But there are signs that you can look for, beacons that show you the sweet season is nigh, just around the corner over there, arriving any second now.

All the Doog Poop No One Picked Up People think just because it’s winter they don’t need to clean up after their good boys and girls, so when spring arrives, the ground is generally just covered in land mines of poo. Disgusting, but it means there are sunnier times right around the corner. Credit: NEORSD
The Shen Yun Billboard Jokes Start No lie detected. Credit: Reddit/
Credit: Photo by Emanuel Wallace
Concord Casimir Makes His Prediction Cleveland’s feline answer to Punxsutawney Phil is not only way cooler because he’s a cat who found a career and a caretaker after being discovered outside of St. Casimir in 2013 but because he makes his spring weather predictions by eating pierogies. Whether or not he says spring is two or six weeks away, know that he’s correct and that six weeks isn’t that long. Credit: Courtesy John Niedzialek
You’ve Just Realized You Should Have Gotten Your Bike Tune-Up Months Ago Congrats, you remembered to schedule that tune-up for your bicycle, which you’re eager to ride now that temps are looking to be in the mid-50s on a consistent basis. Everyone else has had the same idea. Next year? Set that reminder for February when signs of spring aren’t yet visible to all. Credit: Photo by Vince Grzegorek
Pitchers and Catchers Report to Guardians Spring Training Somewhere after the equipment truck leaves Progressive Field for Goodyear, Arizona and before the start of full spring training, pitchers and catchers report. Does the average fan have any idea why those poor or lucky souls, depending on your vantage point start earlier than their teammates? No, but everyone knows it means spring. Credit: Major League
Dyngus Day The Polish holiday traditionally celebrated by little boys playfully whipping little girls with pussywillows has become one of Cleveland’s favorite ethnic holiday parties. HQ-ed around Gordon Square and around Tremont, Dyngus Day is synonymous with very tall, cold Polish beers and the imminent arrival of spring. Credit: Photo by Emanuel Wallace
You’re *This* Close to Being Tired of Fish Fries At least as much as any self-respecting Clevelander can be, but if you had to count it up, you’ve had somewhere between 11 and 37 pounds of white fish since the start of Lent. All the better to work up to your spring and summer bod. Credit: Scene archives
The Buzzards Around March 15 every year, the buzzards return to Hinckley. Since the 1950s, this has been A Thing in Cleveland, with folks gathering at the Metropark’s reservation in Hinckley to keep an eye on the sky, play Buzzard-theme games, listen to music and generally geek out over all things Buzzard. Whether or not you’ve ever been or ever plan on going, you know when you see coverage on the news that, yes, spring is coming. Credit: Cleveland Metroparks
St. Patrick’s Day There are a couple of options for unofficial start to spring in Cleveland. One of those is the Guardians home opener, the other is St. Patrick’s Day. It might be 75, it might be 25 and snowing. But the green beer means you’re near to the real thing, no matter how it feels outside. Credit: Photo by Emanuel Wallace
You’ve Seen People Wearing Shorts Two Days in a Row The random 65-degree day in February is one thing, but when you see back-to-back short-pants days? That’s no aberration, that’s spring. Credit: Photo by Emanuel Wallace
The Auto Show You’re vaguely aware something happened with the ownership of the I-X Center. You’re keenly aware that you when the cars come rolling through town, good things are ahead. Have fun looking, you’re still tooling the streets in your Kia, which somehow hasn’t been stolen yet. Credit: Photo by Emanuel Wallace
Sports Talk Radio is 24/7 Browns Draft Talk Sure, the Guardians are getting ready to play, and the Cavs are in the midst of a strong run to the playoffs, but what can the Browns do in the 4th round at outside linebacker. The number is 216-578… sigh. Credit: Photo by Emanuel Wallace
The Potholes Are Mostly Fixed All? LOL. Most. But when the majority of the winter-inflicted damage to the streets are finally patched, it’s basically spring. Credit: ifrogmationofneworleans/FlickrCC
The Cherry Blossoms Bloom at Wade Lagoon A little more beautiful than wet dog poop being revealed by climbing temps. When these trees pop in University Circle, then you know it’s the real thing. And time to take some selfies. Credit: lagged2death/FlickrCC
Actual Nature Stuff Beyond the birds, the signs of spring are all around the Metroparks if you know what to look for and thankfully the Metropark’s is here for you. Credit: Cleveland Metroparks
Mason’s Makes Its Change From Ramen Shop Back to Ice Cream Just as the annual transition from ice cream to ramen signals to Cleveland that winter is nipping at our heels, the annual transition back is that tasty reminder that sun, temps, and green are in the near future. Credit: Scene archives
Leo Appears And up in the sky, spring comes in like a lion when Leo starts appearing in March. Credit: Till Credner/Wikimedia
The Birds Other migratory signs of spring in Cleveland The return of Eastern phoebes, American woodcocks, killdeer, Eastern meadowlarks and tree swallows. Wasn’t taking up bird watching one of your New Year’s resolutions? Credit: Yankech Gary/FlickrCC
The Guardians Home Opener Spring training was one thing but this is real baseball and holy hell why is it so cold still doesn’t anyone realize scheduling baseball games outdoors in March is dumb. Anyway, you’ll take it. Credit: Photo by Emanuel Wallace
The Bradford Pear Trees Bloom
It’s beyond clear, but when this happens spring has, well, come. Credit: Pulaw/FlickrCC
You’ve Made it Through False Spring We all know that slice of the calendar when the weather gods tease us with spring weather then dip us right back into winter. Once you’ve made it through that rollercoaster, real spring is actually on the horizon. Credit: Scene archives

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