The formal start of spring 2023 is today. The astronomical beginning of the season, the vernal equinox, occurs at 4:24 PM CDT today.
According to NASA, at that time, the sun will cross the equator directly, distributing approximately equal amounts of day and darkness over the planet.
The March equinox is the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, but for people living south of the equator, it's the first day of fall.
According to NASA, an equinox produces roughly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night at the equator.
In Alabama, it won't feel anything like spring today. Although skies will be largely sunny, temperatures on Monday are predicted to be on the chilly side, with highs barely reaching the 50s statewide:
It will be cold on Monday night into Tuesday morning, and freeze warnings will once more be in effect for a portion of the state.
Here are the very winter-like expected lows for tonight:
Back to spring, though. Although most people consider the equinox to be the true beginning of spring, meteorological spring actually began on March 1 and lasts until May 31.
For ease of tabulating data, meteorological seasons are divided into three-month blocks. Astronomical seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth's axis and its position during its orbit around the Sun, claims NASA.
Until the June solstice, when the sun reverses orientations and moves back to the south, if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun will set a little bit farther north on the horizon each evening.
Moreover, sunsets will still occur later in the day. It will continue to be the case until the summer solstice, the following astronomical seasonal milestone, which occurs on June 21.
What will the weather be like in the spring?
Recently, NOAA released its spring outlook, which indicates that during the upcoming several months, Alabama may experience warmer-than-normal temperatures and rainfall that is roughly average.