Air travel has been painful of late, with soaring prices, bad weather ,and long security lines.

Yes, but: Colorado Springs Airport's operations have continued relatively unbothered.

Why it matters: Entering the busy spring break travel season, many Springs travelers face the eternal question — fly out of Denver International Airport or COS?

The big picture: A five-week funding standoff over the Department of Homeland Security has left TSA agents nationwide missing paychecks and calling out sick in record numbers.

• And travel headaches have piled up, with severe weather in the eastern U.S. earlier this week and disruptions to Middle East flights compounding.
• Closer to home, it was a no good, very bad week for DEN travelers.

Reality check: Colorado Springs Airport has continued to operate normally throughout the DHS funding standoff, according to spokesperson Aidan Ryan, including:

• No major delays at the airport's sole security checkpoint.
• Average wait times are holding steady at 5-12 minutes.

Threat level: While TSA PreCheck remains open for now, the service could be paused due to staffing shortages, Ryan told Axios, likely lengthening security check wait times.

What he's saying: "We also want to thank our TSA officers for their continued dedication to keeping travel safe and efficient at COS," Ryan said.

Zoom in: Some airports, including DEN, have started taking donations in support of TSA workers.

The other side: COS might get you on a plane faster, but you'll often still connect through DEN — and even quick security lines (1 to 10 minutes) can be thrown off by disruptions like this week's power outage or a ground stop.

Send to a spring breaker

As the saying goes, April showers bring May flowers. But not this year.

• Instead, an unseasonably warm, dry February is bringing March flowers.

Why it matters: Allergy season is arriving earlier and lasting longer in Colorado Springs — meaning more weeks of sneezing, congestion and doctors visits for residents.

Driving the news: This year's unseasonably warm winter prompted trees, shrubs and flowers in the Springs to start blooming in late February.

• That's nothing to sneeze at: About 25% of adults have seasonal allergies.

What they're saying: "Most of the time, I'm telling patients around the 1st of March is when to start medical therapy for springtime allergens," Levi Keller, an assistant professor in allergy and clinical immunology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, recently told KUNC.

• "But this year, it was probably around Valentine's Day."

The big picture: The days between the last and first frost in the Pikes Peak region have increased by an average of eight days in recent years, trending longer since 1970, a new report from Climate Central shows.

Threat level: Nationwide pollen production stands to dramatically increase alongside high CO2 pollution, per a 2022 study highlighted in the report.

• For our area, tree pollen is the current culprit, according to Accuweather.com.

💧 City council passed new drought response plans Wednesday, though water supplies are well above the trigger-point. (The Colorado Springs Gazette)

🔥 The fire burning near Highway 115 north of Penrose was smoky and slow to contain as of last evening, closing Hwy. 115 in both directions again as of 4:30pm, per CDOT. (Fox21)

• The Colorado Springs Fire Department sent several brush trucks to the scene.

⚖️ A federal class action lawsuit against Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' administration says officials are detaining children for weeks or months, violating their constitutional rights.

We've plucked three easy wins for your weekend: one loud, one low-key and one adorable:

🐾 Tonight is a corgi meetup at the doggone best canine-centered drinking establishment in town, complete with an outdoor fenced play space.

• The Pub Dog Colorado event starts at 6:30pm, but dogs and their humans are welcome from noon to 9pm

🛼 Tomorrow, catch a Pikes Peak Roller Derby double-header. Tickets start at $15.

• Doors open at 6pm and the first bout kicks off at 7pm.
• Pro tip: Bring your own chair — floor seating gets uncomfortable fast.

🦋 Sunday is "Bug Day" at Garden of the Gods, featuring butterflies, bees and other small-but-mighty creatures for kids to encounter.

• It's free and starts at 11am at the Visitor & Nature Center.