Here's good news for Tucsonans who have had enough of freezing weather for this winter: Mesquite trees have begun leafing out at some sites in the area, including Agua Caliente Park northeast of the city.
"There is an anecdotal belief that when the mesquite trees leaf out, all danger of frost is past," said Meg Quinn, an environmental educator for Pima County. This usually occurs at around mid-March but sometimes earlier in a warm winter like the one we have had this year."
Note the words "anecdotal belief." The term suggests that observations over the years have led many people to believe that leafing mesquites mean adios to freezing weather.
But here's the thing to keep in mind about weather: It sometimes doesn't behave according to National Weather Service predictions — or anecdotal beliefs.
