h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This is a question and is not misc chat.

Meterologists generally go for March 1st

Astronomically speaking, spring is likely to be considered to be the spring equinox around 20th March.

I always think that we have reached my Mother's birthday on Feb 13th, and daffodils are making an effort and there are catkins on the trees. This is obviously subject to getting to be a bit vague.

When do YOU consider it to be spring?

PP.

Difficult one as it depends where you live...
Here in South Nodnol, I'm tend to feel that winter only properly starts after Christmas (1st Jan) but spring most years seems to be underway by the 1st of March with Summer from the 1st June and Autumn/ Fall doesn't start until at least late September.

I know thats not even 2 months winter 3 months spring 4 months Summer 3 Months Autumn.

Its starting here (Stafford) in about 2 weeks it always tends to vary

One of my local meteorologists says that our snow may not melt until July. I hope he was kidding when he said that . We face several nights when the thermometer may dip almost 20 degrees below freezing [centigrade]. This is because the storms we get pull Arctic air behind them as they sweep south and then deliver snow to the East Coast. The jet Stream seems stuck in that pattern, and no one sees it shifting any time soon. Boston's public transportation system is going to shut down all day tomorrow. No trash has been picked up in the last ten days. Hordes of people are offering their services to pull snow off people's roofs to avoid collapses.

I'd be surprised to see much sign of Spring before May this year. Some years are like that. In 1948, the year I was born, there was still snow on the ground on April 30 when my mother went to the hospital to deliver me, and when she was released afterward the flowers wer all in bloom. It can happen quickly if belatedly.

Astronomically, the seasons reverse of course depending which hemisphere you are in, against the same system of equinoxes and solstices.

Climatologically, altitude is quite as important as latitude with respect to the kind of weather to be expected.

For example, potatoes grow well in their tropical native range in Peru on account of altitude.

They do well in Idaho on account of a combination of altitude and latitude and in Ireland on account of latitude.

They do well in Switzerland on account of the cooler temperatures of high altitudes.




With respect to my local climate, just north of California's Imperial Valley, against temperate zone norms, 'spring' begins with the end of 'Indian summer', continues to approximately the vernal equinox, is succeeded by 'summer', which in turn is succeeded by the torrid season which is usually continuous to the autumnal equinox, with a realistic prospect of either freezes or hurricane force monsoonal storms at any time from the autumnal equinox to vernal equinox, and a prospect of hurricane force monsoonal storms again around the time of the summer solstice.

Doesn't happen every year, though.

Plotting against both latitude and altitude, California has terrains representative of all the world's climate zones.

For southern California generally, the seasonal progression is more like mid autumn to mid winter corresponding to spring, spring to summer, summer better styled 'the torrid season', followed by the fire season, from mid summer to mid autumn.

I love spring and like to drag it out as far as I possibly can! Therefore it's already spring where I live (Cannock) and work because I have daffodils in my hallway and on my desk.

Oh, and the crocuses are appearing in my front garden (South facing).

Deb

I have the Royal Albert Flower-of-the-month pattern on my table right now. Being February, this means violets.

Overlooking the snow for a moment, we won't even go above freezing 'til next Sunday, the 22nd. How long we'll stay above freezing is anybody's guess. The only time we even get close to freezing is when the Jet Stream brings another big storm.

Ivy growing and fat buds developing in the bushes, new leaves on the evergreens, nice to see

In my world, the 21st March is the first day of Spring. That's because it's when my first Sunshine was born. New year, new life. This year she will be 28

I (in Northamptonshire UK) usually go for 21 March as well. There's still a risk of frost and snow, but the days are lighter, the air is warmer, and there are enough flowers, insects and birds around to convince me that winter is on its way out.

But it does vary, year on year. We used to mark this by the appearance of the first ants in the kitchen (this was before we replaced the back door), because they made their first appearance on 21 March in our first year here. The earliest they ever appeared was something like 4 March and the latest around 30 March (I don't actually have the written records, sorry).

I don't consider it spring until I've seen a brimstone butterfly, though. And by the time the maybugs start banging against the back door (early May, around the 10th, but varying up to 10 days either side) I feel we're well on the way to summer.

Mol

Out here in the Tropics we don't have 4 seasons just a Wet & Dry season. Dry from January to May & Wet from June to December. By the way Mol I was born & bred in Northamptonshire. (Wellingborough & Higham Ferrers).

I'm on the other side of the county, near to Watford Gap services, in the Uplands

Mol

I have been wanting to reply here.


Living in Florida, most people think we do not have seasons, I will disagree.

Spring arrives about two weeks after the last cold front has managed to push this far south, usually about mid March, but sometimes one will sneak through in May, spoiling the schedule.

Summer is when the Highs hit 90, and the lows are close to 80 (Fahrenheit). This also marks the start of the Hurricane Season, along with regular rains.

Autumn (or Fall as we call it here) is marked by the first evening when a jacket becomes comfortable, usually mid to late September.

The Hurricane Season officially end on 30 November, but storms can not read calendars.

Winter begins with the first strong cold front to reach us, plunging temperatures below 40F in late November or early December.

We usually have three or four days with a 'hard freeze' (temperatures below freezing for more than 3 hours). Every ten years or so, we might have a light snow that will melt off well before noon.

It is not unusual the have many days reach the mod 70'sF throughout Winter - We look forward to these.

F S

Hello MS

A Little to hot and a little to cold at both extremes at least you know what to expect with added hurricanes

OOPS sorry FS dyslexic fingers holding a cat

It was a lovely sunny day today and almost warm (compared to, very cold, which is what it was last night). I was doing some laundry and I did think of pegging it out, but there was no wind and at this time of year the sun alone isn't enough.

And *that* made me realise that spring starts on the day I know I'll get enough sun to get the washing dry. Our garden faces south west, with a patch of trees behind us, so when the sun is lower in the sky the garden is quite shadowy. So I stop pegging out the washing some time in September, and start again some time in March.

I will make a careful note of the date this year

Mol

good idea

I would have said the same as Mol. My answer would be: You can feel it in the air. Can't put my finger on it date- or temperature-wise, but it's when the wind has lost its bite. We have and crocuses/crocusses/croci and the last piles of swept-together snow have melted. Although we were in the North at the weekend and there were some quite large patches of snow up there.

Well according to the UK Met office today is the First Day of Spring...
So to you all .

Huh. well I don't believe a word they say. According to them it was 10 degrees here today but it felt a lot colder than that in the aftermath of last night's wet gales.
On the other hand, I have had a continual supply of rosebuds through February and the snowdrops have been exemplary.