March 1 marks the start of meteorological spring, but what does that mean?

Meteorologists use March 1 as the start of “meteorological spring.” It’s based on the annual temperature cycle and the calendar. It’s used for climate record-keeping purposes. Meteorological spring consists of the months of March, April and May.

Click here for the latest forecast from Severe Weather Team 11

The “official” start of spring won’t come until the vernal equinox (Northern Hemisphere) which falls at the end of March and varies from year to year between March 19, 20, and 21st. Also called astronomical spring, the vernal equinox marks the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator which is the imaginary line above the Earth’s equator from south to north.

The reason we have seasons is because of Earth’s tilt on its axis of 23.5 degrees.

If you want to receive ALERTS about weather, download our Severe Weather Team 11 app.

Spring Forward: Daylight Saving Spring Forward: Daylight Saving

© 2020 Cox Media Group