Spring is here…kind of.

Many people are familiar with astronomical seasons, which calculate the first day of spring to take place on the Vernal Equinox, March 20, 2016. Astronomical seasons are determined by the position of the Earth in relation to the sun, including Earth’s rotation around the sun, its axial tilt (23.5 degrees) and the sun’s position over the equator. The Vernal Equinox varies each year and happens when the sun aligns with the plane of the Earth’s equator.

So what exactly is meteorological spring?

In the weather world, temperature cycles and our calendar are used to determine the meteorological seasons. Generally, people think of seasons in terms of average temperatures. For example, winter is known as the coldest time of the year and summer as the hottest, having spring and fall act as in-between or transition seasons. This is exactly what meteorological seasons are based on.

Meteorological seasons are broken down into three month periods based on our calendar and the temperature cycles during those months: spring — March, April and May; summer — June, July and August; fall — September, October and November; and winter — December, January and February. Temperatures during these periods are more sequentially consistent with each other compared to astronomical seasonal periods. For example, June, July and August tend to be on average the warmest months of the year for most locations, therefore we mark those three months as meteorological summer. By basing the seasons on temperature cycles and our calendar, the length of each season is more consistent than astronomical seasons. This makes calculating seasonal statistics easier and more accurate for meteorologists and climatologists who use these stats on a daily basis for a multitude of reasons which include; forecasting, commerce, agriculture and more.

So if you are ready for winter to end and spring to begin, today is your lucky day! If you’re somewhere warm, head out and take in all that spring has to offer. And if you’re not, don’t worry, warmer temperatures are headed your way!

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