Signs of Spring: Sunlight Comes to Far North

The largest town near the Global Seed Vault is Longyearbyen (pop. 1,800), the world's northernmost town with more than 1,000 residents. The airport is the northernmost point in the world serviced by scheduled flights.

Photo: Peter Vermeij / Global Crop Diversity Trust

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There's no night like there is in Longyearbyen, and no day.

The northernmost town in the world, on Norway's Svalbard peninsula in the Arctic Ocean, Longyearbyen is in total darkness from mid-November into March. But daylight will reach the town this Saturday, when the sun will rise for the first time this spring, according to the New York Times.

For people in the snowy regions of the continental United States, the hunt for signs of spring is beginning as well. Birds are singing with more fervor in the Northeast. The days are steadily getting longer. Soon, snow-covered ground will give way to mud, then wildflowers and grasses. Leaves will unfurl on the trees.

In Longyearbyen, the temperature even in the long summer day – there is no night from April to September – still only averages 43 degrees. So watch for the lengthening day, anticipate warmer weather, and realize that we have it pretty good down here, after all.

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