---
- attributes: ~
  caption: 'This graph shows the number of days by which the start of spring in each year differs from the average start of spring during the 20th century. The spring of 2012 (circled) set a record for earliest start. (Source: Adapted from the USGCRP indicators pilot, with data from USA-NPN and NOAA NCDC)'
  chapter:
    description: ~
    display_name: 'Chapter 2: Federal Investments in Global Change Research '
    doi: ~
    identifier: federal-investments-global-change-research
    number: 2
    report_identifier: usgcrp-ocpfy2016
    sort_key: 20
    title: 'Federal Investments in Global Change Research '
    url: ~
  chapter_identifier: federal-investments-global-change-research
  create_dt: ~
  description: 'This graph shows the number of days by which the start of spring in each year differs from the average start of spring during the 20th century. The spring of 2012 (circled) set a record for earliest start. (Source: Adapted from the USGCRP indicators pilot, with data from USA-NPN and NOAA NCDC)'
  display_name: '2.4: Annual Start of Spring for the Contiguous United States'
  identifier: annual-start-spring-contiguous-united-states
  lat_max: 49.371742
  lat_min: 24.545219
  lon_max: -66.957802
  lon_min: -124.762146
  ordinal: 4
  report:
    _featured_priority: ~
    _public: 1
    contact_email: ~
    contact_note: ~
    display_name: 'Our Changing Planet: The U.S. Global Change Research Program for Fiscal Year 2016'
    doi: ~
    frequency: ~
    identifier: usgcrp-ocpfy2016
    in_library: ~
    publication_year: 2015
    report_type_identifier: report
    summary: "This FY 2016 edition of Our Changing Planet, USGCRP's annual report, summarizes the Program's significant advancements toward achieving its scientific goals, delivering on its Congressional mandate, supporting the President’s Climate Action Plan, and building a knowledge base that effectively informs human responses to global change. It includes an overview of the USGCRP research enterprise and recent highlights that demonstrate progress on the 2012–2021 Strategic Plan. The report also spotlights progress in interagency research priority areas that intersect with the Climate Action Plan, such as climate predictions, drought and other hydrologic extremes, and actionable science. The highlights in this Our Changing Planet report represent the broad spectrum of USGCRP activities that extend from Earth system observations, modeling, and fundamental research through synthesis and assessment, decision support, education, and public engagement. "
    title: 'Our Changing Planet: The U.S. Global Change Research Program for Fiscal Year 2016'
    topic: ~
    url: https://downloads.globalchange.gov/ocp/ocp2016/Our-Changing-Planet_FY-2016_full.pdf
  report_identifier: usgcrp-ocpfy2016
  source_citation: 'Adapted from Start of Spring, USGCRP indicators pilot'
  submission_dt: ~
  time_end: ~
  time_start: ~
  title: Annual Start of Spring for the Contiguous United States
  type: figure
  uri: /report/usgcrp-ocpfy2016/chapter/federal-investments-global-change-research/figure/annual-start-spring-contiguous-united-states
  url: https://data.globalchange.gov/report/indicator-start-of-spring
  usage_limits: Free to use with credit to the original figure source.