Spring Time in Ada Ohio

The Ohio Northern University Sign after the spring
landscaping.

The saying is that April showers will bring May flowers, and here in Ada we get more than our fair share of rain. However, being in the Midwest, we don’t really get all four seasons here. Our year is mainly composed of three seasons; summer, fall and winter. This region seems to completely skip over the spring season that most people are accustomed to. In normal places, the spring season is usually the period that the weather begins to transition towards warmer temperatures than in winter. This is also the time of year when the surroundings begin to change from the dark and drab winter colors to the vibrant greens that means the weather is getting warm. Spring in Ada just means that it rains more often than it snows. The temperature stays pretty much consistent with the winter months, with the occasional day that may jump up to the fifties. Warm weather doesn’t come to Ada until about the last week of April. Until that week, we experience freak snow storms, howling winds, thunder storms and the inconsistent temperatures. Once the warm weather does come, it tends to stay. The temperatures in Ada go from blistering winter to balmy summer in about a week, just in time for the ground crews to get the Ohio Northern Campus looking presentable for the graduation ceremonies on Mother’s Day weekend.
As for activities to do in Ada during the spring months, it is pretty much the same as the winter months in town. The only difference is that the snow man you build one day may be reduced to a puddle in a rainstorm the next day. People this time of year tend to stay indoors more often than not in order to stay out of the harsh conditions. When the temperature does finally break for the last time is when the town actually begins to liven up. There are usually several small events that are most often coordinated through the university that occur when the weather in Ada finally lets up. The Engineering versus Pharmacy College kickball game is a tradition that usually occurs around this point in the year. The engineers and pharmacy students assemble teams to compete with one another

The Henry Solomon Lehr statue after spring
landscaping. 

in a tradition that has been upheld since the early 1900’s. The game between the colleges used to consist of a baseball and football game in competition for a ceremonial hatchet that was awarded to the winner. The game was eventually changed to a kickball game because the rivalry became so intense that fights would often break out. The hatchet that was once battled over was actually buried in a “burying the hatchet” ceremony to end the intense feud. Along with this traditional game, the university also sponsors several spring athletic teams such as baseball and softball. They often have games open to public spectators, and always appreciate a crowd at their games. There are also several student organization activities that occur in Ada’s brief “spring”. The Greek Week festivities between the fraternities occur around this time of the year, as well as several charity five k’s and fun runs held by various student clubs. The weather may not break in Ada until May, but the town comes to life once it does.