Today marks the official start of spring. The groundhog may have lied about an early spring this year, but today we celebrate warm weather and hopefully an end to the rain. The amount of daylight has been increasing each day after the winter solstice. After the spring equinox, many places will experience more daylight than darkness each 24-hour day. The amount of sunlight each day will continue to increase until the summer solstice in June when the longest period of daylight occurs.
Equinoxes are the only two times each year that the sun rises from the east and sets in the west for everyone on Earth! The word equinox comes from the Latin word for “equal night”. On the equinox, the length of day and night is nearly equal in all parts of the world.
There are two types of seasons that start at two different times. There are the astronomical seasons and the meteorological seasons. The spring season associated with the vernal equinox, called astronomical spring, occurs on or around March 20 in the Northern Hemisphere. Still, meteorologists recognize March 1 as the first day of meteorological spring, based on annual temperature cycles and the Gregorian calendar.
Earth’s orbit around the sun causes the lengths of the astronomical seasons to vary between 89 and 93 days. These variations in season length and season start would make it challenging to consistently compare weather from previous years. Hence, meteorologists look at the seasons as static for three months to better compare and predict weather patterns. With the spring equinox, hopefully, sunshine will finally replace all this rain.
More Helpful Articles
Bagels of the Bay
Bagels are among the most polarizing foods among foodies. Some think that only New York has good bagels, while others are satisfied as long as it’s smothered in cream cheese. If you are a true bagel lover, you may know that the Bay Area is schmeared with authentic,...
Give Back to the Plant That Gives to You
Happy Earth Day! Every day is an opportunity to give back to the earth, but today is an especially good time to consider your impact on the environment. Sometimes, small changes make the biggest difference, but sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start. If...
A Local’s Guide to Golden Gate Park
It’s the best time of the year to get outside, and there's nowhere better to spend your days than at Golden Gate Park! With over a thousand acres of land, Golden Gate Park is home to some of the best activities to enjoy a very Bay Area day. There are numerous museums...
Recent Comments