In some places, people can tell spring is here by the crocuses poking through the snow.

In South Portland, it’s the “open” sign in the window at Red’s Dairy Freeze. Or if you’re in Waterville, it’s the first World’s Best Chocolate cone from Gifford’s.

Maine does not experience spring like other places. Green grass might not appear until June. Snow might still be falling in April. So Mainers have to look for other signs of spring, like hearty ice cream sellers scooping cones and sundaes while temps still hover around 30 degrees, or seasonal museums and restaurants opening their doors, or mud-free places to finally get outside after the long winter.

Here’s a list of seven signs of spring to look for in Maine right now, even if you still gotta wear a puffer coat to get there.

Ice cream

The spring thaw for Greater Portland’s soft-serve ice cream stands comes gradually most years. The Dairy Queen on Route 1 in South Portland opened in mid-February selling their famous Blizzards — and has since had to close a couple times because of the other kind of blizzard. Lib’s Dairy Treats in Portland’s North Deering neighborhood opened March 7 with some special treats, including one made with Tony’s Donuts. Red’s Dairy Freeze in South Portland’s east end opened for its 74th season on March 9, causing thousands of people to post on social media and then line up for a Boston sundae.

In parts of Central Maine, the thaw is maybe more focused on hard ice cream. Maine-based Gifford’s Ice Cream was scheduled to open its Bangor stand on March 13, its Waterville stand on March 20 and Skowhegan on April 3. The Dairy Joy stands in Lewiston and Auburn opened on March 18.

Flowers

Flowers will not be blooming in most Maine gardens for a while, but you can see some beautiful floral arrangements — works of art, really — in Portland beginning this week. The Portland Museum of Art’s annual Art in Bloom exhibit runs Wednesday to Sunday, featuring floral arrangements or installments by some 20 designers. Each one was inspired by or related to specific works of art in the museum. Find more details and see a list of designers at portlandmuseum.org.

Museums

While many of Maine’s seasonal museums don’t open until the summer, at least one big one helps mark the coming of spring. The Ogunquit Museum of American Art is opening April 10 for its 73rd season. One of the opening exhibits is “American Conversations,” pairing paintings by various American artists, including Marsden Hartley, Lynne Drexler and Lois Dodd, who all worked in Maine. Another is “Looking for America,” which weaves the work of multidisciplinary artist Hank Willis Thomas with the work of 11 artists who have collaborated with his studio. Both are among several exhibits at Maine museums this year connected to the celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday.

Fried fish

If you can eat chowder and a fried haddock sandwich near a beach, it must be spring, right? The massive Clambake Seafood Restaurant in Scarborough, near Pine Point Beach, reopened for the season on March 12. Ken’s Place Seafood Restaurant, a little further up Pine Point Road, was planning to open for the season on March 20. Both have been in business since 1927. The Lobster Shack at Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth, with picnic tables overlooking one of southern Maine’s most dramatic stretches of rocky coast, is set to open April 4. Look for more seafood shacks to open in May.

Paved paths

Taking a spring hike in Maine means you might have to wear hip waders. Luckily, there are plenty of paved paths around Maine where you can take a mud-free walk in nature. The Greenbelt Walkway in South Portland is a 5.6-mile, mostly paved path that passes Bug Light Park on Casco Bay, follows Portland Harbor and treks through woods before ending at Wainwright Recreation Complex.

The Beth Condon Pathway in Royal River Park in Yarmouth is part of a 2.6-mile paved path along the river. The Androscoggin River Bike & Pedestrian Path is a 2.6-mile paved path along the river and through trees, and provides a pedestrian and bike connection between downtown Brunswick and the town’s Cook’s Corner area. The Kennebec River Rail Trail runs 6.5 miles along the water from Augusta, through Hallowell and Farmingdale, to Gardiner.

Courts

A sure sign of spring is the hanging of the nets at municipal courts all over Maine, for basketball, tennis and pickleball. The place to find the most courts for your money (that’s a joke, they’re free) is Portland. The city maintains 26 tennis courts, 12 pickleball courts and 48 basketball hoops. Portland staff were starting to install tennis and pickleball nets the week of March 16, with a plan of getting them all up before April 10. Basketball courts are open anytime there’s no snow.

Some of the spots where you can find a variety of courts include Deering Oaks Park (six pickleball, eight tennis, two volleyball and four basketball), Payson Park (two pickleball, four tennis and two basketball) and the Eastern Prom (two pickleball, three tennis and two basketball). For locations and more information on Portland’s parks and recreation areas, go to portlandmaine.gov.

Mountain high

You know winter’s over when you can drive up the summit of your friendly, neighborhood mountain after work. At 692 feet, Mount Agamenticus in York offers 360-degree views from the coast of Maine to the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  The popular York County conservation area will open for the season April 15, from 6 a.m.-7 p.m. daily. There’s a $2 hourly parking fee.