Meanings
- uncountableA period of warm weather in early spring before a cold snap.
A spell of warm weather in March or April immediately followed by a cold snap is often called a "fool's spring".
2022 March 29, Amy Phipps, “Fool's spring sees warm spell make way for cold snap”, in BBC News3 more examples
"It may be spring and then again it may not be," is the Rocky mountain weather man's reply to questions whether it's a "fool's spring" or the real thing that has invaded the mountain country.
1934 January 29, “Burros Braying, It Means Spring”, in The Spokesman-Review{...} the days were longer now, lots of bright light, even though it was still just fool's spring and we had had snow just the other week.
1992, Meg Pei, Salaryman, Viking Penguin, page 186Northern Ohio is in the midst of what humorous folks on social media call Fool's Spring, which will be followed by Second Winter.
2021 February 25, Craig Webb, “Warm weather makes Ohioans think it's 'Fool's Spring'”, in Akron Beacon Journal
Cite this entry
fool's spring. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fool's%20spring
“fool's spring.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fool's%20spring. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fool's spring,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fool's%20spring.
Source: fool's spring on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.