The NWS In San Diego Just Pranked Twitter With An Emergency Butterfly Alert
Southern Californians should be on the lookout for—butterflies!? San Diego's National Weather Service just advised a butterfly watch, and it's not what you think. They're suggesting that you be eagle-eyed for an increase of vibrant colors and nature photos.
You must be thinking, "What in the world?" but there's a legitimate reason behind it.
In a Twitter post, the NWS San Diego wrote, "...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN SAN DIEGO HAS ISSUED A BUTTERFLY WATCH..."
But where? The post continued to say, "WHERE: NWS SAN DIEGO OFFICE."
One user went on to ask, "What are the major impacts for this watch?"
The NWS San Diego had a great response: "Main impacts include an increase in bright colors and flower/nature photos."
Narcity confirmed with the city's NWS that the watch is a "fun social media post" that occurred when monarch butterflies and cocoons were spotted outside of the office.
Their periods of metamorphoses occur through June, which means even more butterflies are coming.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, monarchs can be found across the country, specifically where milkweed grows.
However, they tend to be more prominent in the midwest.
They are distinguished by their brightly-colored wings, which contain splashes of orange, black, and white.
The butterflies you may see are, "Currently the 2nd migratory generation is hatching."
This means that more butterflies will hatch their way into the world come September and October.
On top of sharing their own monarch photos, NSW urged followers to upload pictures of the butterflies and chrysalis' they've seen, and they did not disappoint.
If you want to attract these insects to a garden, the forest service recommends that any flowering plant will work. But milkweed is the right choice if you want an up-close peek at these winged creatures.
Monarchs can live as long as 2 - 8 weeks; however, the last generation of a year "can live up to 8 to 9 months."