Most people believe that spring starts on March 1st, and they’re not wrong. But did you know that astronomical spring actually begins on March 20th?
Climatologists and meteorologists break the seasons into groups of three months each because this makes it easier to calculate monthly statistics. And that’s why most of us think spring starts on March 1st!
Weather forecast for the season
The last winter was brutal for many, with the mid-Mississippi River Valley receiving relentless rain and the West not receiving enough. Weather experts believe that how wet or dry a region is during the winter can have an impact on the spring weather forecast.
If an area is extremely wet during cold-weather months, spring temperatures could be a little cooler. And conversely, if a region had an exceptionally dry winter, spring temperatures could be slightly above normal.
Case in point: California. While the state received above-average rainfall early in December, things changed as winter progressed. Thus, during spring, California is expected to pick up where it left off, with the continuation of warm and dry weather.
Similarly, Texas had a really hot December. This could end up producing warmer temperatures during spring in the region.
In comparison, places like the Tennessee Valley and Ohio Valley are expected to stay cool this season because of all the rain they received during winter.
An important thing to note is that the La Niña pattern will continue to have an impact on Atlantic temperatures and hurricanes.
While these forecasts are for the spring season as a whole, meteorologists have cautioned that there may be ups and downs (dry and wet periods) within spring, as well.
