spring thaw
Winter's icy retreat
Spring thaw is the seasonal melting of snow and ice that occurs as temperatures rise in late winter or early spring.
In cold climates, this period brings flooding risks as accumulated snowpack releases water into rivers and streams.
The term also appears figuratively to describe a warming of relations after a period of tension or coldness: The diplomatic spring thaw between the two nations followed years of hostility.
- snowmeltLiquefied winter precipitation
- snow meltLiquefied winter precipitation
- runoffExcess water drainage
- meltingSolid-to-liquid transition
- chinookWarm downslope Rocky wind
warming trend · renewal · freshets · equinox · rebirth · cabin fever · longer days · blooming · frost heave · frost dates · mud season · soggy ground · flooding · ice breakup · ice out · migration · streamflow · slush
- SpringApril, May, cherry blossoms, tulips, daffodils
- mountain streamsmountain stream, mountain brook, alpine stream, mountain river, headwaters
- temperature changestemperature drop, heat waves, temperature rise, cold snaps, temperature spike
- snowmeltmeltwater, slush, runoff, snowpack, ablation
- water cyclewater cycle, precipitation, evaporation, condensation, rain
- northern weatherblizzard, blizzards, snowfall, cold snap, cold
spring thawfirst frost
Season's earliest freeze
winter freeze · hard freeze · first snow · killing frost · cold snap
spring thawfreeze-up
Sudden complete stoppage
freeze · icing · frost formation · deep freeze · ice formation