Ilsa Minor Daily Press Who says spring hasn’t sprung? This dandelion was discovered in full bloom Friday, March 22 outside the Eagles Club on Ludington Street in Escanaba

IRON MOUNTAIN — After a winter of record warmth in the Upper Peninsula, a long-range forecast from The Weather Channel favors above-normal temperatures through spring and possibly summer.

A mild spring is predicted across most of the U.S., with the Southeast Coast the only exception.

“Given the expected rapid transition from El Nino to La Nina, and the increasing global warming trend, it has become difficult to forecast anything but anomalous warmth as we head towards summer,” said TWC’s Todd Crawford, vice president of meteorology at Atmospheric G2.

For the U.P. the National Weather Service sees a 55% chance of above-average temperatures through May and just a 12% chance of below-average. Warmer-than-normal is as least slightly favored through summer and fall, with the forecast turning neutral by December.

Throughout the winter, a strong El Nino contributed to far-above-average temperatures locally.

The U.S. Drought Monitor shows moderate drought in Dickinson and Iron counties and severe drought in Wisconsin’s Florence and Forest counties.

There is also severe drought in Gogebic and Ontonagon counties in the western U.P. and moderate drought or abnormally dry conditions in the rest of the U.P.

The CPC’s outlook for the region slightly favors a drier-than-normal March but is otherwise neutral through the end of the year.

As El Nino fades, the Climate Prediction Center indicates a nearly 80% chance of neutral ocean temperatures in the eastern Pacific by the end of spring. The probability of the La Nina cool phase emerging is more than 70% later into fall, according to CPC.

Crawford said the transition may produce a more active severe weather season in the central U.S. as well as a busier hurricane season. By May, the Upper Midwest could be the warmest spot relative to averages, he said.