Erica's Answer:
The Gulf Stream is an ocean current that originates in tropical reaches of the Atlantic. It funnels warm water northward toward Europe (and away from the United States, unfortunately!) Warm ocean water has an amazing influence on European weather. The wind in Europe blows mostly from west to east, which enables that warm ocean influence to move pretty far inland- even as far inland as Germany! The warm water keeps much of Western Europe from getting too cold in the winter, and yes, it leads to an earlier spring.- Erica