Spring

[inspirit]

Some say spring starts on the equinox, some say it starts March 1st. But there is another way of looking at it. Right around February 11th the length of a solar day changes from slightly longer than the average of 24 hours, to slightly shorter than 24 hours. And it stays that way until early May. Then the solar day gets longer than 24 hours again during the summer.

Summers and winters the length of a solar day is longer than 24 hours due to the tilt of the axis, and spring and fall the length of a solar day is slightly shorter than 24 hours due to no tilt. Someone would need to explain to me why that is but that's the fact of the matter. It averages out to close to 24 hours over the course of a year which is how we came to have 24 hours in a day.

The amount of daylight in each day is also quickly increasing now.

Edit:

Here are approximately what the astronomical seasons are based on the equinoxes and solstices at the middle instead of the beginning of each season. I decided on these dates based on the fact that the time between the March equinox and the September equinox is about 186 days which makes astronomical summer approximately half that or 93 days with June 21 at the middle. And the time between the September equinox and the March equinox is about 178 days which makes astronomical winter approximately half that or 89 days with December 21 at the middle.

Spring: Feb 4-May 5 (91/92 days)
Summer: May 6-Aug 6 (93 days)
Autumn: Aug 7-Nov 6 (92 days)
Winter: Nov 7-Feb 3 (89 days)

[ocean breeze]

I go more by the temperatures than the amount of daylight.

[inspirit]

Temperature varies a lot from one place to another though. But daylight increasing is happening everywhere now in the northern hemisphere. I'm not saying you're wrong though. In fact most people would agree with you since most people measure Spring as going between March 1 - March 20 (equinox) till June 1 - June 21 (solstice) when the weather is warmer. So you're in the majority.

But it's still nice to know that the days are quickly getting longer now. Before you know it the daffodils will be sprouting and the sun will be setting after 7pm. :)

[Tobi]

Where I live, the first signs of Spring start to move in much earlier than the designated 'official' start of Spring! Usually in the 3rd week of February or so. We already have snowdrops, one or two Periwinkle, some crocuses, and a few daffodils in flower! (though certainly not in my garden) But it feels still very much like winter.
For me, Spring starts 'officially' the first day or night I smell the sap rising.

[inspirit]

I've been seeing dandelions and the days are getting noticeably longer now. But I haven't seen any daffodils yet. I might have seen some other flowers but I don't remember. No crocuses yet I don't think, but those usually come pretty early in spring so I would expect to see them soon. The sun came out today and it was almost like a spring day even if none of the trees are starting to bloom yet.

[Tobi]

In England, the Blackbird usually knows when Spring's arriving, and starts to sing at dawn and dusk

[Frederick33]

I would suggest you ask the 1st spring flowers you see

or the 1st birds showing signs of the arrival of spring

ask them how they knew perhaps they will share

their perfect ways to know with you

I am sure their answer can only be very beautiful
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much love and light to you and others reading this

Daffodils here are sprouting earlier and earlier each year. I remember when I moved to the area I am in now, they cropped up in March or April...now they have been known to spring up at the end of December!

I tend to go by the seasons by the way I was taught at school - March, April and May is Spring. June, July and August is Summer. Sept, Oct and Nov are autumn and Dec, Jan and Feb are Winter. I'm such a big kid! I know this differs for others though. I do think temperatures are changing each year.

I enjoy Spring. Everything is starting afresh and I love watching all the plants and flowers grow and seeing a lot more birds in the trees

[inspirit]

Technically spring is March 20-June 20
summer is June 21 - Sep 21
fall is Sep 22 - Dec 20
and winter is Dec 21 - March 19

The seasons are opposite from the above in the southern hemisphere. The start of each season is based on the times of the solstices and equinoxes.

The only thing confusing about the above definition is that the first day of summer is called "midsummer" which is a contradiction. But maybe that's if you consider the whole season from March to September summer which is another way of looking at it. That's when the days are longest which is especially important to people living in far northern latitudes.



Yesterday I saw some crocuses. No daffodils yet though. I'm sure the daffodils will be everywhere soon though.

[vitaraq18]

Spring represents new life. Yay