This has been the warmest spring on record

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - The numbers are in and it's official, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this spring was the warmest on record.

During the months of March, April and May the average temperature was five degrees higher than normal.

Overall the first five months of 2012 were the warmest start to a year since records began back in 1895.

And for the past 12 months every state in the lower 48 had warmer than average temperatures except one.

“These types of warm weather outbreaks for a long period of time is what we would expect with climate change,” said Jake Crouch of NOAA.

We've been seeing the effects of the warmer than normal temperatures. Mosquitoes and ticks were out earlier than usual.

Local strawberries are about two weeks ahead of schedule and out west in Kansas they were harvesting wheat on Memorial Day instead of July 4th.

Brian Magnier who photographs wildlife at Forest Park in Springfield, has noticed changes.

“Spring migration started a couple of weeks early. A lot of birds that came back in April, I'm not used to seeing them until late May. It really has been warmer than most years and you can really see it in the wildlife,” said Brian Magnier of Springfield.

It's already been a record breaking year and the start of summer is still two weeks away.