When is spring? What is the difference between astronomical and meteorological spring?
The frigid weather is finally behind us in Oklahoma, at least for the time being, with a series of warm days ahead.
In Oklahoma City, high temperatures are forecasted to be in the 60s and 70s this week, a stark departure from last week's subzero wind chills which kept ice and snow on the ground for days.
But is this really the start of spring? When does spring begin? Here's what you need to know.
Well, it depends on who you ask.
Meteorological spring occurs during the months of March, April and May each year. So, for meteorologists predicting the weather, spring will start on March 1, 2025.
But for those marking the change of the seasons by the celestial bodies in the sky, astronomical spring begins a little later. On March 20, 2025, when the sun is directly over the equator, also known as the vernal equinox, astronomical spring begins.
According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, experts had difficulty comparing statistics year-to-year because traditional seasons vary in length from 89 to 93 days. Meteorological seasons were created to make the seasons more uniform, consisting of the same three months each year.
False spring is a period of unseasonably warm weather, which can trick us into thinking winter is over, according to a Homes and Gardens article. This can be frustrating for us, but can also cause problems for gardeners.
The warm temperatures can plants and flowers to start blooming weeks before they normally do, but the fresh leaves and blossoms can be damaged when temperatures plummet once more.
Right now, Oklahoma may be in its second "false spring" of the season, according to the Oklahoma Mesonet.
HA! Ain't nobody falling for false spring #2! We see you, Mother Nature. But we'll enjoy it while we can! https://ticker.mesonet.org/ #okwx #okmesonet
Posted by Oklahoma Mesonet on Monday, February 24, 2025
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: When is the first day of spring? Is Oklahoma in a 'false spring?'
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