Every year around this time, the Northern Gods of winter, ice and snow fight an epic battle against the Southern Gods of summer, sun, solar radiation and warm tropical air.
Usually the Southern Gods win for several months until the fall when the Northern Gods concentrate their efforts and once again, they get the upper hand.
Sometimes it makes things more interesting and memorable, if you put them into a mythological form. Always remember the gods are sneaky. That great solar furnace called 
the sun, everyday slips a little higher into the sky and stays up a little longer.
The Southern Gods are hoping that the Northern Gods don't notice the change until it is too late. They try to get rid of as much of the ice and snow as they can before the Northern Gods notice.
I have a snowperson named Hilda standing outside my window and day-by-day she seems to be shrinking away. She appears to be evaporating. And in a way she is. The snow on her outside melts into a thin film of water, getting sucked up by our dry and thirsty winds. Some years most of the snow just disappears into the air and we don't get a lot of runoff which in turns affects how much water is in our rivers and lakes during the summer. I told you the gods were sneaky.
If you are camped or living by a lake, put in a water hole and measure the thickness of the ice daily. In the spring, the ice will start to get thinner even though the surface of the lake doesn't really appear to change much. The ice covering the lake is getting thinner and melting from the bottom up. Why? Because as the sun gets higher in the sky, its rays begin to penetrate the snow and ice on top of the lake down into the water.
This starts to warm the lake up and melt the ice. Also, the sun begins to melt snow on hillsides and then cracks in the rock can carry that water down and into the lakes. So in spring, lakes begin to have water flowing into and sometimes out of them in ways that are hidden from view. The movement of the water under the ice, also helps to melt it.
I don't know whether the thinning ice fools the gods, but it does fool some humans.
They see the surface of the lake and it looks much the same as it did weeks ago, so they think it is just as safe, when it isn't.
Every spring vehicles, snow machines and people tempt fate and cross some thinning ice. A few break through, which is no fun at all. If you plan to drive a vehicle on thin spring ice, carry a center hole punch with you, just in case you have to break a window in a hurry. They don't cost much, and they can save lives.
While the epic battles between ice, snow and the sun rage outside, it may take a long time for break up to occur and for summer to arrive. Meanwhile people have their own battles to fight inside. When the daylight gets strong enough, you may suddenly notice the spider's webs that lay hidden in your abode. On the walls, ceilings, around your windows and in the dark corners everywhere. Where did they all come from? You may even notice some spiders who seem to have come out of winter hibernation.
Sneaky little critters that they are. I have no idea what they find to eat inside, and I probably don't want to know either. Every spring I find at least one spider trying to get out of the bathtub.
Another springtime battle is when you notice how dirty your windows are. You can wash the insides, but the outsides will have to wait until the outdoor temperatures get above freezing. So, while the gods wage war between summer and winter you can wage your own war of spring cleaning.
Ah spring and soon summer. The question is, do I take down my outdoor Christmas decorations or go fishing instead?