Winter lingered in northern New England, and so will the mud

Marisa Tobey breaks up a clump of moist while weeding her garden, Thursday, April 28, 2017, in Freeport, Maine. Northern New England's annual mud season is expected to last into May this year. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (The Associated Press)

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A sign warns of a closure to an all-terrain-vehicle trail at Androscoggin Riverside State Park in Turner, Maine, Wednesday, April 27, 2017. Soils saturated with snowmelt and rainwater has forced the closure of many off-road trails. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (The Associated Press)

Raoul Rivera walks over muddy ruts left by the tractor he drives at the Brigeen dairy farm, Thursday, April 28, 2017, in Turner, Maine. Mud season is an annual mucky rite of spring in northern New England, and this year it's gloppier than typical in some parts of the region, and it's hanging around for longer than usual. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (The Associated Press)

NEW GLOUCESTER, Maine – Spring is in the air. But mud is on the ground, and will be for a while.

Mud season is an annual mucky rite of passage in the lives of northern New Englanders. This year, it's gloppier than usual in parts of the region, and hanging around longer.

Mud season sets in when snow smelts, ground softens and spring rains come. Parts of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont had a snowier winter than usual, followed by a wetter-than-average spring, making for a muddier mess.

Mud season is normally over by April, but forecasters say it could stick around until early May.