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Jan Harris
Deputy Group Editor
2:00 AM 28th February 2022
nature

Is Spring Just Around The Corner?

 
Spring is the time of year when the earth comes to life after the cold winter. The temperatures begin to rise, the days get slightly longer, the trees begin to bud and bulbs appear through the ground.

But how you define the first day of spring depends on whether you are referring to the meteorological or astronomical spring......

Meteorological or Astronomical Spring

The meteorological calendar splits the year into four seasons of three months each and so spring begins on 1 March until 31 May, whereas the astronomical spring refers to the position of the Earth’s orbit in relation to the sun and the equinoxes and solstices.

The meteorological spring has fixed dates each year, whereas the astronomical definition is flexible.

The year is divided into 4 seasons according to the meteorological calendar and defined as spring, summer, autumn, winter.

Spring is March, April, May
Summer is June, July, August
Autumn is September, October, November
Winter is December, January, February


In a year there are two equinoxes (spring and autumn) and two solstices (summer and winter).

So the astronomical spring in 2022 will begin on Sunday 20 March and ends on Tuesday 21 June.

Some facts about spring:

The warmest spring on record was 2011 with an average daytime temperature of 9.2 °C.

The coldest spring was the spring of 1962, with an average daytime maximum of 5.8 °C.

The wettest spring was in 1947 with 331.7 mm of rainfall.

The sunniest spring was in 1948 when a total of 558 hours of sunshine were recorded.

The average temperature for spring is 7.7 °C.


AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Samuhel said:

“Spring is a transition,

“As we come out of the cold winter toward the warm summer – it’s all based off the sun angle, which depends on the Earth’s orbit.”

Some spring quotes:

Flowering cherry
Flowering cherry
“Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s Party!’” - Robin Williams

“Spring unlocks the flowers to paint the laughing soil.” - Bishop Reginald Heber

“The first blooms of spring always make my heart sing.” - S. Brown

“Spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm.” - John Muir

“No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.” – English Proverb

“Spring is when life’s alive in everything.” – Christina Rossetti

“Never yet was a springtime, when the buds forgot to bloom.”– Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” – William Shakespeare