The Secret Spring Seasons of Eastern Kentucky

One of the things people discover after moving to Eastern Kentucky is something locals call the “little winters.”

Even after spring arrives, the mountains sometimes send a few short cold snaps. For generations, folks have named them after what’s blooming at the time:

-Redbud Winter

-Dogwood Winter

-Locust Winter

-Blackberry Winter

-Linsey-Woolsey Britches Winter

They usually happen between late March and mid-May, and longtime locals will tell you the blooms are often the best way to predict the weather.

It’s one of those small pieces of Appalachian culture that newcomers quickly learn—and one of the many traditions that make life in the mountains special.