Spring begins today, March 20, 2015, 3:45 PM

From The Old Farmer's Almanac, "First Day of Spring 2015: Vernal Equinox."

Sunny weather, oops.

Spring celebrates green frogs

....  "The March equinox happens at the same moment across the world but is converted to local time. In 2015, it falls on March 20 at 6:45 P.M. EDT, 5:45 P.M. CDT, 4:45 P.M. MDT, and 3:45 P.M. PDT, for example.

Meteorologically speaking, however, in the Northern Hemisphere the official spring season always begins on March 1 and continues through May 31. Summer begins on June 1; autumn, September 1; and winter, December 1. 

Weather scientists divide the year into quarters this way to make it easier to compare seasonal and monthly statistics from one year to the next. The meteorological seasons are based on annual temperature cycles rather than on the position of Earth in relation to the Sun, and they more closely follow the Gregorian calendar. Using the dates of the astronomical equinoxes and solstices for the seasons would present a statistical problem because these dates can vary slightly each year.

More of these...

.... Signs of Spring. The vernal equinox signals the beginning of nature’s renewal in the Northern Hemisphere. Worms begin to emerge from the earth, ladybugs land on screen doors, green buds appear, birds chirp, and flowers begin to bloom. You can track when the seasons change by observing (and recording) the plants and animals around you." 

Related - USA Today/Doyle Rice, 3/19/15, includes brief embedded videos. "Freaky Friday:  Solar eclipse, Supermoon, Spring Equinox. "First the aurora borealis and now a solar eclipse — what a week for skywatchers! Plus it occurs Friday (the first day of spring) and the same day as a Supermoon. One caveat: The total eclipse will not be visible anywhere in the USA and will be seen only by folks on some rather remote islands in far northern Europe Friday morning."  Philippine Daily Inquirer, 3/6/14. "During the vernal equinox, 'there is almost equal duration of daytime and nighttime in the world, in both northern and southern hemispheres,' said Jose Mendoza, the chief of Pagasa’s astronomical publication unit. .... There are two equinoxes every year: the vernal equinox and the autumnal equinox, which occurs in September.

Note graphics/photograph:  Note Spring Vernal Exqinox graphic from The old Farmer's Almanac website above.  Frog from Learning Station/Spring is here (for children). Field of daisies from Homeless Monsters/Thereesa Couchman, 2/10/15. 

Posted by Kathy Meeh