From Loren S.: When does Spring begin this year?
This year Spring begins at 5:44 am on March 20
th. That does not mean you will wake up and the birds will be singing, skies will be blue, and we will not have any more cold weather. It is the exact moment astronomers calculate that the sun will cross directly over the earth’s equator.
The earth’s orientation to the sun gives us our seasons. In winter, the northern hemisphere (where we live) is tilted away from the sun. This gives us shorter days and less direct sunlight, increasing your chances of using an ice scraper or your kid losing a glove. In summer, we receive nearly direct light from the sun. This creates longer days, warmer temperatures, and increasing ice cream sales.
Spring is called the vernal equinox, because the length of night and day are said to be the same. Equinox translated means, “equal night”. In reality, they are not exactly the same, as the day is slightly longer in places that are further away from the equator, and it takes our sun a bit longer to rise and set in these places.
The date of Easter is calculated using the vernal equinox. Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.
If you want to get an early start on planning a summer cookout, summer begins
precisely at 11:45 am on June 21
st.
If you have a weather question for Dan, send it to: askdan@kjrh.com
