The first day of spring 2020 is unlike any we have seen in more than a century. It’s early, happening on March 19 rather than a day or two later like usual.
The first day of spring happens with the vernal equinox, when the Earth’s axis is vertical relative to the sun. Day and night are roughly (though not quite) equal and it happens only twice a year, in the spring and fall.
In 2020, the spring equinox happens at 11:50 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. By squeezing in just under the wire on the East Coast, that means it will be the first time in 124 years the equinox happens on March 19 for all U.S. time zones.
The early arrival is due to leap years and daylight saving time, which can change the observed date and time of events like this, according to Space.com, which gets more specific with the details.
How will the season shape up weather-wise? The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center says probability favors a spring forecast that is both warmer and rainier than normal over the next three months along the East Coast.
Source: By Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com
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