LESTER HOLT (HOTS): Across much of the country tongight it's beginning to feel like a lot like spring. From record daily highs to the warmest winter on record in some regions, much of the nation is thawing out. But with the early warmth comes concerns. NBC’s Miguel Almaguer explains why spring arriving weeks early in some places isn't always good news. 

MIGUEL ALMAGUER (NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT): In a city where change doesn't come easy, spring has sprung in Washington, D.C. The famed cherry blossoms set to hit peak bloom in mid-March, the earliest since 1990. Scientists track the arrival of spring in part by the blossoming of certain plants. But warmer weather can complicate the growing season for farmers, throw a wrench in the ecosystem and bring misery to allergy sufferers. 

JAKE WELTZIN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, USA NATIONAL PHENOLOGY NETWORK, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY): I would say this early spring is one part of the fingerprint of climate change, and it's important to understand all the different effects that our changing climate might have on us.

Related: 

Climate Central: The Vast Majority Of The U.S. Had A Crazy Warm Winter

Climate Signals: Eastern US Record Winter Heat February 2017

Previously: 

CBS News Is In Antarctica For A Series Of Reports On Climate Change

Seth Meyers Hosts Climate Scientist To Rebut The “Ignorance” Of Donald Trump And Ted Cruz