This is the final weekend of January, and that means that pretty much anything goes when it comes to the weather we will experience over the next few weeks.

As I sit writing this column, the wind is whipping outside my window. There are snowflakes in the air, and the temperature out there is below the freezing mark.

None of that is unusual for January — in fact, it’s all to be expected. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t had enough of winter already.

However, I don’t think Mother Nature, Jack Frost or Old Man Winter care about what I think. They are all bound to bring us more of the same as February arrives in the coming week.

As of Friday evening, the forecast for the next several days called for fairly clear skies but cold temperatures, with the mercury dipping into the teens some nights. Despite what may be some sunny afternoons, it appears that won’t be enough to warm us up since temperatures are predicted to top out right around the freezing mark.

Still, experience has taught me that you just never know how bad conditions might get in February — or how suddenly they might change.

During my years working in the news industry, I have reported on February snowstorms that stranded people at home for days. I have written about conditions so cold that all local lakes and the Ohio River were coated with ice for days on end. Cars would not start, and warming shelters were opened for those who were in danger from the cold.

But February has also brought soaking rains and patterns that led to flooding, both on small streams and on the river.

Although I have many friends and relatives who celebrate birthdays in February, it is probably my least favorite month of the year. I guess I should just be glad that it’s short!

But while I generally find outdoor conditions to be bleak and depressing at this time of years, I do see reason for hope.

The days are getting longer now. I noticed that it wasn’t really quite dark as late as 6 p.m. one day this week. And the rising sun is waking me a few minutes earlier each morning.

There’s more — a patch of daffodil shoots is sticking up through the saturated soil of my front yard. Other hardy plants, such as the succulent sedum that bloom so brilliantly in the fall, have developed early leaves that have risen above the frozen surface of the ground.

I’ve noticed a few other indications of the coming spring. More birds are chirping outside my windows, when the wind is calm enough for me to hear them. I also spotted a rabbit scampering down the hill the other day. I know they are here all year-round, but I rarely see those fluffy little jumpers when there is snow and ice on the ground. In addition, I — and other people in my neck of the woods — have noticed an abundance of skunks along Ohio 149 between Belmont and Morristown.

Even though it is still weeks away on the calendar, I feel like all of those are signs of the coming spring.

I, for one, am ready.