You may have heard the term "meteorological spring." This is a reference to the spring season beginning March 1 and lasting through May 31.
This is not to be confused with astronomical spring, which is the period from the vernal equinox to the summer solstice. Astronomical spring is not meant to be used as the period of spring weather. For one thing, the dates of the solstice and equinox fall on different days each year, which makes weather comparisons difficult.
Meteorological seasons are set into four seasons of approximately the same length to make it easier to compare seasonal and monthly statistics. The seasons are defined as spring (March, April, May), summer (June, July, August), autumn (September, October, November) and winter (December, January, February).
The astronomical seasons run about three weeks later than those of the meteorological calendar. It should be noted that weather patterns rarely follow the start and end dates of either meteorological seasons or astronomical seasons.
Have a weather question you'd like answered? Email weather@wday.com ,
ADVERTISEMENT
or write to WDAY Stormtracker, WDAY-TV, Box 2466, Fargo, ND 58108
Read the blog at http://www.stormtrack.areavoices.com
