An early spring may sound nice, but it comes with serious consequences—both to human health and the environment.

An Alarmingly Early Spring is Sweeping Across the Southern United States

These findings are consistent with the fact that the instrumental record shows that 2016 was the hottest year ever recorded for the globe, and that it was the third record-breaking year in a row. Researchers have noted that 16 of the 17 hottest years recorded occurred since 2000. These new maps show that 2017, at least so far, is shaping up to be another warm one, but also that different regions exhibit variable responses over time.