Spring rains or winter?

Brief end of the day out at the Woods. I wanted to see what last night's 1.4 inch rain had done. After the long dry January the land was growing winter-parched, cracks in the soil. Entering via the SW Gate I just passed the 100 m mark on the Main SW Trail when I saw the shallow flood of water in the sedges and forest. Maybe 2-3 inches deep, it pooled in an interesting pattern that should help explain the patterns of the vegetation, the death of trees like bur oak that cannot survive flooded roots, the thick stands of young green ash that can. I walked back south to the South Boundary Trail and then across the W. Dune trail following fresh deer tracks in the soft soil of the trail. I saw a few white-tailed deer running north across the water, into the Woods. Not many deer in there these past few weeks.
It will be interesting to see if this late January rain will spur spring growth with the run of 50 and 60 degree F days we've had.. or if the plants will hold back with the likelihood that we have more cold winter ahead.