Well, here we are at the end of March, and it’s time to celebrate Springtime. Those of you who are looking at your calendars might think that March 25th is a bit late to mark the arrival of Spring, but then it’s taking its own sweet time arriving in our neck of the woods. In fact, you might say that this puzzle is not so much a celebration as a plea for Spring. On the other hand, we may hope that you, gentle reader, are out enjoying the passing of Winter and that this puzzle will help you rejoice in your good fortune. If not, perhaps it will help distract you from the dreary view out your window. Either way, you win.
Our dedicated reviewers have examined this puzzle, rubbed our noses in our mistakes, made us clean up our messes, and pronounced it adequate. (They’re a tough crowd.) Further, they have adjudged it to be roughly Tuesday-level on the NYT scale. You can, however judge for yourself by downloading and working the puzzle in your favorite format: either as an Across Lite file or a printable PNG image. Enjoy!