As the cold days are slowly leaving (let’s hope), all people are dreaming of spring and summer with more sunshine. We are officially on March 1st, but when does the real spring and warm weather begin? When will we finally touch it?
When does spring start?
How the first day of spring is determined depends on the determination of the astronomical or meteorological seasons. This year, spring will be between March 20 and June 21, if we consider the astronomical method. But it starts a little earlier, between March 1st and May 31st, if we follow the meteorological calendar.
How is the first date of spring set?
According to the Met Office, meteorological seasons are based on the annual cycle of temperatures and atmospheric conditions. Even meteorological seasons are coordinated in three seasons. The use of this system determines: Spring (March, April, May), Summer (June, July, August), Autumn (September, October, November) and Winter (December, January, February). With this system, spring starts on March 1st and ends on May 31st.
But why do spring dates change every year?
Other systems use astronomical seasons. Referring to the position of the Earth's orbit in relation to the calculation of the equinoxes (when the length of the day is exactly the same as the length of the night) and the solstice (the longest and shortest days of the year), the true spring begins after the 20th March.
The astronomical calendar determines the seasons when the Earth's rotating axis is 23.5 degrees relative to its orbit around the sun. So, according to this system, for 2022, spring starts on Sunday, March 20, and ends on Tuesday, June 21 (ie full 111 days).
However, whether spring will come on March 1 or 20, more depends on everyone's preference for the calendar system.
