Bill Felker

Poor Will’s Almanack for the Third Week of Late Winter.

Between the first day and last day of February, the day increases by more than an hour throughout most of the United States, and natural history shows the growing power of the spring. Like the steady shifting of the sun and the stars, precedents from previous years make promises for the fledgling seasons

Poor Will’s Almanack for the Second Week of Late Winter.

Two days from now, on the 31st of January, the sun reaches a declination of 17 degrees 35 minutes, one fourth of its way to spring equinox.

Near this same day, a temperature pivot throws the entire northern and southern halves of the planet into reverse.

And average temperatures start to rise throughout the country.

Your personal thermometers not only mark that process at home, but almost everywhere.

Poor Will’s Almanack for the First Week of Late Winter.

Now the year is three weeks old, and Late Winter has begun. It often seems by this time of year that the cold will never end, and that the nights will never be short enough. But On January 27: The day's length (now growing at the rate of two minutes each 24 hours) reaches ten hours all along the 40th Parallel.

Poor Will’s Almanack for the Third Week of Deep Winter.

The moon turned new just a few days ago, and now that moon, the Cranefly Moon, watches over the swarms of tiny craneflies – that look a little like mosquitoes – and which are common at this time of year.

February’s moon is the Lenten Rose Moon. The Lenten Rose or hellebore, opens as aconites and snowdrops blossom. Maple sap runs when hellebores bloom, and most of the nation's lambs are born.

Poor Will’s Almanack for the Second Week of Deep Winter.

Although winter may seem long and gray, its progress unravels the warmth of spring, and the year’s natural calendar contains markers which offer reassurance that the passage of Gregorian days will really and truly bring change.

Just a few days from now, on January 11, the sun rises earlier all along the 40th Parallel for the first time since the middle of June.

On January 26: Cardinals begin their spring mating songs before sunrise, and deep winter ends.