When Does Spring Start ? Three Answers.
By M.-L.
@MALUSE (69413)
Germany
March 20, 2017 2:09pm CST
Spring has started today - or has it? In fact, there are three beginnings for spring. One is on 1st March. It's the
METEOROLOGICAL BEGINNING
Meteorologists have divided the year into four seasons of three months each. Each season begins on the first day of the respective month. Thusly, in the Northern Hemisphere spring begins on 1st March and ends on 31st May. For the members from Australia and New Zealand spring begins on 1st September and ends on 30th November. This definition has nothing to do with the actual weather conditions. It's purely scientific.
ASTRONOMICAL OR SOLAR BEGINNING
In the Northern Hemisphere the astronomical equinox in March is seen as the beginning of spring. The date can vary between 19th and 21st. The solstice in mid-June marks the beginning of summer and so on. This view of things is often accompanied by folkloristic festivities, especially in Northern European countries where it's dark for a long time in the winter season. When equinox has arrived, hibernation is finally over!
PHENOLOGICAL OR ECOLOGICAL BEGINNING
This way of seeing things doesn't follow a fixed date. Spring begins when nature awakens. Flowers like snowdrops and crocuses come out of the soil, sometimes even through snow. Birds start a racket already before sunrise to attract a mate. Human beings get spring feelings. Many housewives get the urge to clean their homes thoroughly from top to bottom.
There you are. There are a lot of festivities all over the world but it would lead too far to name them all. For most of us it's enough to know, "Yes, spring has sprung."
---
photo: pixabay
25 people like this
24 responses
@celticeagle (158981)
• Boise, Idaho
21 Mar 17
Interesting about the different areas. I'm sure ready for it.
4 people like this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
21 Mar 17
I'll take the Phenological one @MALUSE . Although you never know when Mother Nature is going to surprise people; like when New York got their blizzard recently after the famous Cherry Blossoms started blooming.
3 people like this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
21 Mar 17
@MALUSE I'm glad I no longer live in a snow-prone area. I lived in Nebraska most of my life and the blizzards there are fierce. My last year there, we had a blizzard on April 28th; which is my birthday. It started out at 75 degrees (23c). I had on shorts, a halter top and sandals and went to a movie. 3 hours later, it was blizzarding and the temp had dropped to 34 degrees (1c). Imagine my surprise.
2 people like this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
22 Mar 17
@MALUSE After using my arm to remove the snow from the windshield, I jumped in the car and turned the heater on. I prayed all the way home that I wouldn't get stranded because of the depth of the snow or got behind some idiot who didn't know how to drive in those conditions.. There were no cell phones back then either, so I would have been screwed if something had gone wrong.
1 person likes this
@suziecat7 (3350)
• Asheville, North Carolina
20 Mar 17
I never knew these things. I do know I also am happy that spring has sprung officially or unofficially. The garden calls :))
3 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
21 Mar 17
Well, that certainly muddies up the water doesn't it? I call it spring when I see my crocuses peeping out of the ground.
2 people like this
@sabtraversa (12922)
• Italy
20 Mar 17
I only knew about the astronomical beginning of spring, the equinox. 
And I only care about the latter, the "perceived spring". 
My winter jacket is sulky, as I won't use it for months. The days are definitely warmer here. 
And time for all the spring cleaning and such, the lazy me feels frustrated. 
And I only care about the latter, the "perceived spring".
My winter jacket is sulky, as I won't use it for months. The days are definitely warmer here.
And time for all the spring cleaning and such, the lazy me feels frustrated. 2 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (48927)
• United States
21 Mar 17
It appears that it has truly come. Hopefully old man winter doesn't come back for a visit.
3 people like this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
21 Mar 17
A nice practical post about spring. I should have read this first!
3 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40053)
• Laguna Woods, California
21 Mar 17
I didn't know there were so many answers to that question! Wow!
2 people like this
@ptrikha_2 (45467)
• India
22 Mar 17
Yes and it varies from place to place and from year to year too, with sudden climatic changes and random weather patterns!
2 people like this
@ptrikha_2 (45467)
• India
22 Mar 17
Well for us in Northern Indian plains, Spring starts from Early Feb/Mid-Feb and if the summer does not springs early with 35 C plus day temperatures, Spring lasts till March end.
But in last many years, we have seen short springs, sometimes even starting in late January when temperatures rise abruptly, and at times, by starting March it is already feeling like full summertime.
1 person likes this
@epiffanie (11326)
• Australia
22 Mar 17
Yes, I notice here in Australia, spring comes in the middle of August .. but my husband and I even noticed that some flowers that used to bloom in September, now bloom in mid to end of July .. Mother Nature is giving us mixed signals ..
1 person likes this
@ptrikha_2 (45467)
• India
22 Mar 17
@epiffanie It is also may be that the climatic changes, which many of us know, and recognize and many of us are still denying. But this is a big big challenge for all of us, and people all over the world have to unite and do something about, although the detailed discussion will be slightly off-track here.
1 person likes this
@jstory07 (134422)
• Roseburg, Oregon
2 Apr 17
On the Calendar Spring has already started. But Mother Nature will do what she does best. And that is to take her time and let Spring start when she is ready for it to start.
@paigea (35678)
• Canada
24 Mar 17
Do we really get an actual urge to clean or has that been trained into us that we must!!
I am a follower of the Phenological spring! ( though I and the myLot dictionary don't know that word) The spring equinox is always well ahead of the spring weather.
At school I am constantly telling the children, we still need our snowpants though it says spring on the calendar.
I am a follower of the Phenological spring! ( though I and the myLot dictionary don't know that word) The spring equinox is always well ahead of the spring weather.
At school I am constantly telling the children, we still need our snowpants though it says spring on the calendar.1 person likes this
