WEST MICHIGAN — You either love it or you hate it, Daylight Savings Time. March 12 will be the day we 'spring' forward to help make the most of our daylight. Daylight saving time will last until November 5. Speaking of days getting longer, March also marks the beginning of spring.
Meteorological spring begins on March 1. Meteorological seasons are defined by annual temperature cycles rather than the position of the sun, and are used by weather scientists for comparing seasonal and monthly statistics. Meteorological spring includes March, April and May.
The Vernal Equinox, which is astronomical spring, happens on March 20 at 5:24 P.M. in North America. According to NASA, the Vernal Equinox is what happens when the sun crosses the celestial equator. Days become longer with increasing hours of sunlight after this because the Northern Hemisphere is tilted more toward the sun. This sun angle tends to be the most powerful and helpful when melting snow.
