By Cara Beth Smith
Is it just me, or is it always chilly on the first day of Spring? According to my phone’s weather app, the highest temperature we will see today is 54 degrees … Kind of disappointing to me, but I am still happy to see grass turning green and azaleas blooming, and to know that as of today, it is officially Spring.
“The spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere (also called the March equinox or vernal equinox across the globe) occurs when the Sun crosses the celestial equator going south to north. It’s called the ‘celestial’ equator because it’s an imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s equator.” (according to The Farmer’s Almanac)
Since the winter solstice, we have been seeing a little more daylight each day. This will continue to happen until June’s summer solstice.
Here’s an interesting fact from The Farmer’s Almanac: “Equinoxes are the only two times each year that the Sun rises due east and sets due west for all of us on Earth! While the Sun passes overhead, the tilt of the Earth is zero relative to the Sun, which means that Earth’s axis neither points toward or away from the Sun. (Note, however, that the Earth never orbits upright, but is always tilted on its axis by about 23.5 degrees.)”
From a meteorological point of view, the first day of Spring is actually March 1st and the last day is May 31st. To make statistical comparisons simpler, weather experts divide the year into quarters instead of following astrological patterns.
Ideas to celebrate Spring:
• Take a walk. Look around for signs of Spring – green grass, flowers blooming, floral wreaths on doors, etc.
• Start your garden! There is nothing like fresh fruits and vegetables in the Spring. Click this link to learn about the best times to plant: planting-calendar
• Enjoy the evening sun. Relax on your porch or in your backyard and enjoy the later sunset.
We wish you a Happy First Day of Spring, and hope the season brings you joy after a long, cold winter.
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