Shanghai's third earliest spring in history has arrived, meteorologists say: this year is highly likely to see a "warm spring"

Shanghai has just entered spring meteorologically, with rain and strong winds arriving together, and the damp, cold feeling bringing people back to winter. According to Xin Fei, chief expert at the Shanghai Climate Center, there is a higher probability of a “warm spring” this year.

Experts say that climate judgment cannot be based solely on a few days of weather but must consider long-term data. “By comprehensively analyzing the interaction between ocean and atmosphere, local climate background, and results from objective forecasts by multiple domestic and international agencies, it is expected that the average spring temperature in Shanghai in 2026 will be higher than usual, with a greater chance of experiencing a ‘warm spring,’” Xin Fei said.

This year’s spring arrived particularly early. On February 26, Shanghai officially entered spring, 15 days earlier than the average spring start date of March 13, and earlier than the past three years, matching 2022.

An early spring also shortens the winter. Zhu Xueyan, engineer at the Shanghai Climate Center, explained that the recently ended winter (2025/2026) saw an average temperature of 8.4°C in the city center (Xujiahui station), 1.6°C above the normal, making it a warm winter. The reason is that, under global warming, Shanghai shows a clear trend of warmer winters, and this winter, Siberian cold air was weaker, with fewer southward movements, leading to higher winter temperatures in Shanghai.

So, is Shanghai’s winter “shrinking” as a result? Data shows that last winter, Shanghai officially entered winter on December 24, the second latest date on record (after 2021). The entire winter lasted only 64 days, significantly shorter than usual. The Shanghai Climate Center’s monitoring indicates that, with climate change accelerating, winter temperatures exhibit obvious “roller coaster” fluctuations. The length of winter is influenced by many factors and varies significantly from year to year, with no clear trend of shortening.

The Shanghai Meteorological Center forecasts that early spring temperatures will initially dip before rising. Light rain is expected Thursday, with rain stopping on Friday, and sunshine returning from the weekend. Temperatures will hover between 11°C and 14°C this week, with highs returning above 15°C next week, signaling the arrival of a warm, spring-like atmosphere.