Spring in Poland: the rebirth of nature and brighter days
It’s time to say goodbye to winter. Goodbye, short days and long nights! Goodbye, mostly grey weather! A long-awaited spring welcomes us with a green color and brighter days.
The astronomical first day of spring falls on March 20 – the vernal equinox (the length of day and night is nearly equal in all parts of the world). Meteorologically speaking, spring in Poland begins on March 21 and lasts until June 22.
The old Polish folk tradition of the first day of spring is to drown Marzanna (a straw figure of a woman symbolizing winter) in the nearest river (nowadays mostly in rural areas and by children at schools). For children, the first day of spring is Truant’s Day / Skip Day (Dzień Wagarowicza). Some students skip classes but usually, it’s just a special fun day at school – students dress up funnily, schools organize competitions and games, and there are no tests on this day.
Weather in Poland in March
Although March is technically the beginning of spring, it’s usually still cold in Poland and the weather changes often – one week you feel as if spring is just around the corner, and next week there is snow and frost. The average monthly temperature in March in Poland is 3,2°C / 37.8°F, average monthly rainfall level is 37,5 mm (the third lowest after February and April). You can have all kinds of weather in March in Poland. There is an old Polish proverb that says ‘W marcu jak w garncu‘, meaning ‘March is like a pot’ (we can have anything – mixed weather conditions).
What’s new in nature in March in Poland
Nature starts slowly to come back to life. You may notice the first flowers blooming: white snowdrops (przebiśnieg) and yellow, white or purple crocuses (krokus). Another symbol of early spring in Poland is willow twigs with buds (bazie). You may notice them in almost every park in Poland or buy a willow twig bunch at a florist or shopping market.
Weather in Poland in April
April in Poland has a similar saying as March (‘Kwiecień plecień, bo przeplata – trochę zimy trochę lata‘ – April interweaves a little bit of winter and a little bit of summer), however, with the climate change, April in Poland is relatively warm and considered (along with May) by many people as the most beautiful time of year in Poland. The average monthly temperature in April in Poland is 8,5°C / 47.3°F and the average monthly rainfall level is 37,3 mm (the second lowest after February).
What’s new in nature in April in Poland
The Polish name for April – kwiecień – leaves no doubt, and the explanation of its origin is very simple – it comes from the flowers that bloom in Poland in April (kwiat means flower in Polish).
Daffodils (żonkil) are the flowers that are associated in Poland with the arrival of spring and Easter. Forsythia (forsycja) is another flowering plant in Poland in April (it is frost-resistant), very popular in Polish gardens and parks. Other April flowers include crocuses, primroses, hyacinths, violets, daisies, pansies, and tulips. The queen of April flowers in Poland is sweet violet (fiołek). In the second half of April, the first fruit trees begin to bloom.
Weather in Poland in May
May in Poland is usually warm and reasonably dry. Sunny weather can even turn hot. The Tatry mountains are the only place in Poland where you can still have snow at the beginning of May (in the higher parts of the mountains). The average monthly temperature in May in Poland is 13,7°C / 56,7°F, and the average monthly rainfall level is 62,1 mm.
The name of the month (maj) comes from the Latin name Maius. May and March are the only months whose Polish names derive from Latin. Polish names of the remaining months have Slavic roots.
What’s new in nature in May in Poland
Lilac (bez) is a queen among spring flowers that bloom in May in Poland. In Poland, the most common are purple and white lilacs. It smells awesome but unfortunately, it is very fragile and withers quickly in the home vase. Lilac came to Poland from Turkey through the Balkan Peninsula. For years, an essential part of Polish rural gardens. Blooming usually lasts only up to two weeks so hurry to admire lilac in May!
Poland in May turns into an orchard full of blooming fruit trees. It’s the time when fruit trees are in full bloom. Wonderful sakura cherries receive special admiration in Japan. In Poland, in the spring, pear, apple, cherry, and plum trees bloom. Apple trees, however, dominate in Poland, with their white, slightly pinkish flowers. May also means the start of a busy season for bees!
You can’t miss the pinkish-white cone-shaped flowers of chestnuts (kasztan) that have become a symbol of high-school final exams in Poland (in Polish: matura) that take place in May.
In Poland, chestnuts grow mainly in parks and along roads. It is a huge tree – in Poland, the largest chestnut trees reach about 30 m in height and about 600 cm in the circumference of the trunk. The oldest chestnut in Poland grows in the Wielkopolskie Province and is over 200 years old!
Weather in Poland in June
Technically, the spring season lasts until June 21 but June in Poland is considered as a summer month. After all, it’s the time when school summer break starts. The average monthly temperature in June in Poland is 16,7°C / 62°F, and the average monthly rainfall level is 69,2 mm (the second highest after July).
What’s new in nature in June in Poland
June in Poland is strawberry season! Gardens are in full bloom with countless spring flowers.
Temperature and rainfall information source: Climate Change Knowledge Portal, sdwebx.worldbank.org, data for 1991-2015.