A signature sign of the arrival of spring in Borderland came at about 2 p.m. Sunday when Teresa Ness of Jameson Addition reported that her husband, Bruce heard and then saw four gulls on Rainy River in front of their home.

The report is nearly one week earlier than the usual first appearance of gulls in the area, and indicates spring has sprung in Borderland.

The shift to warmer weather is not unusual for the first part of March, but the season has come a little earlier than expected this year.

“It looks like over the next several days, we’ll see near or above breaking temperatures,” said Steve Gohde, observing program leader for the National Weather Service in Duluth.

A record high temperature of 61 degrees was set for the area Sunday, which broke the old record of 52 degrees set in 2007.

Gohde told The Journal that a large ridge of high pressure is contributing to the rise of outdoor thermometers, pushing temperatures to the upper 50s and 60s.

Area residents got a taste of what’s to come this past weekend, as temperatures reached into the mid-50s, accompanied by plenty of sunshine.

Rain swept the area Monday to keep temperatures out of the record books, but springtime days again are predicted for the rest of the week.

“As I said before, it is going to be a near-record week,” Gohde explained. “We are expecting to see temperatures well into the mid-to-upper 60s by the weekend. These are temperatures 30 degrees above normal.”

The average high for this time of year in International Falls is 33 degrees and the low is 11 degrees. The meteorologist said overnight temperatures won’t dip below freezing — or much lower than 40 degrees.

“These higher evening temperatures will help chip away at the snow pack,” Gohde said. “The area will probably lose the snow in about two weeks.”

According to popular Borderland folklore, the first sighting of gulls in the area predicts three more snow storms are on the way. Some people wondered if Monday’s rain counted. However, Gohde said the extended forecast shows no signs of the white stuff.

“The 10-day forecast shows temperatures still peaking at this time next week,” he said. “The weather is looking to be warm and dry thanks to that ridge.”

Ice roads, trails closing

Warm weather has led Voyageurs National Park officials to close snowmobile trails and ice roads in the park.

National Park Service officials report that the warm temperatures and recent rainfall have caused significant deterioration to trails and ice roads in the park along the U.S.-Canadian border.

Maintenance of the Kabetogama Lake ice road and park snowmobile and ski trails have ended for the season. Trail markers are being removed this week, and snowmobile travel is no longer recommended.

The Rainy Lake ice road is expected to be closed by Friday according to Bill Carlson, VNP district maintenance supervisor.