Weather

Aaaaaaaaand, we're back to testing another weather plug-in since the last one failed to deliver consistently.

What's the weather like this season?

Spring arrives in the Northern Hemisphere at 11:06 p.m. EDT Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

OK, you're thinking, just how do 'they' decide when spring starts? Spring begins with the March / vernal equinox -- which is derived from the Latin words for equal night, as in 12-hour day and 12-hour night. Fall begins with the fall / autumnal equinox. You probably know that we experience the shortest day in December usually 21 or 22, but it can fall on 20 or 23. Then in June, typically 20 or 21, it's the longest day -- thus do the seasons turn.

Wondering why it's a day earlier than usual? This was a Leap year! Extra day.

While the calendar says spring, however, the weather is less predictable. Storms, floods and tornadoes are the most common, but don't count frigid temperatures and snow as out of the picture just yet. Of course, storms is sort of a catch-all term and can include strong winds, wind, hail, thunder, lightning in warmer weather and freezing rain, sleet, ice, snow and, again, strong winds in a cold front. Let's not forget Jim Cantore's excitement over the rare thunder-snow!

If you're antsy to get that vegetable garden started, be aware of the last frost/freeze dates in your zone and remember they are the average date, not the absolute. Be prepared to cover starter plants and seed beds, if necessary. And, if you though you knew your area's last frost/freeze dates, ya better check again because the USDA updated the map over the winter. You can see it here.

And if the vegetable gardening bug is new to you since last year, we've compiled some help for that. Start with 2020's guide to victory gardens. If you prefer to simply make a beeline for some gardening how-tos, then here's the 2020 edition as well as the 2021 follow-up. Both include links to helpful gardening sites. [Someone -- guilty party right here -- has been remiss in authoring a follow-up article for 2022. Let alone for 2023! Ya just can't get good help this days!]

The National Weather Service has a complete listing of potential spring weather hazards across these United States and how to prepare for them.

The National Safety Council likes to time spring safety checkups to the start of Daylight Savings Time.

The list of spring safety tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention includes a list of items to include in a first aid kit, among other guidelines.

Last, but certainly not least in this list, is ready.gov, the official website of the Department of Homeland Security. There's plenty of info there from disasters and emergencies to severe weather on up to recovering from a disaster ... and more.

And now that you've read past all the dire possibilities of spring, how about some happier stuff? Picked up from around the web are some enjoyable ways to mark the arrival of spring. In no particular order:

Have you noticed that worms and grubs are back in business? Geeky meteorological trivia: The March full moon is the Worm Moon. Seriously!

On a sunny, clear day you could pack a picnic and take a hike. Maybe even include a kite. March winds, doncha know. 🙂

Celebrate the season with a seasonally fresh salad.

Try something new. Bonus points if it's an outdoor adventure!

Don't act your age! Visit the local playground and enjoy a swinging time and maybe even the slide. Play hopscotch [right after ya explain it to the neighborhood kids]. Ride a bike. Go fishing. Ride a horse. ...

Visit a greenhouse or nursery and buy some flowers and/or veggies to plant.

Lie back and watch the clouds. Bonus points for identifying the shapes.

How do you acknowledge that spring has sprung?