It is Spring!
It turned spring at 11:15 a.m. CDT. It is the vernal equinox if you are following the astronomical calendar.
The vernal equinox marks the time when the sun crosses over the equator and the length of days and nights will be just about equal. It is where its name came from, the Latin words aequus (equal) and nox (night). Spring will be from March 20th to June 21 if you are following this method.
If, however, you follow the meteorological calendar it’s already started. This method has the spring season spanning from March 1 to May 31. It divides the season into four three month seasons. In this system the seasons are defined as: Spring (March, April, May), Summer (June, July, August), Autumn (September, October, November) and Winter (December, January, February).
No matter which calendar method you are following we are now officially in spring. The
issue here in my city and garden is that we do not look or feel like spring. I have been hunting for it and I know that there are signs. They are just not the signs that some of you are seeing. No, I have not seen robins, or Crocus or Snowdrops or green grass.
Here is what I am taking for signs of spring :
The birds were singing their hearts out this morning even in the cold.
There is a thin brown grass edging all along the front lawn. So we know there is still grass under the other 1 and 1/2 feet of snow. (down from 2 feet earlier this week)
The small garden on the far southwest corner of the front lawn is now visible but the tulip bed if still covered in snow.
If you look down from the upstairs window you can see one right angle of one of the raised garden beds. They are there! There are four of them. Somewhere!
Inside there is one twig of Forsythia blooming – I am trying to draw it for my Botany class. Good Luck with that, yikes. I may just enjoy looking at it
In the basement there are tomato plants, the tiniest beginnings of pepper plants and two trays of pansies growing (no flowers yet).
The day has been full of steel grey clouds, mild to cold temperatures and snow showers. (I will use the word showers here hoping that sounds more like spring.) Prediction has it this is our weather for the next week or so. Snow showers and cool temperatures!
Welcome to a Minnesota spring!
Looking on the good side of things the slow melting has prevented flooding that might have happened if we turn warmed suddenly. A slow melt is a good thing. Right?
Hope you are have a great spring day! I am trying to! 🙂
Words from JL 
Snowing here in southeastern PA. Predicting that it willladt through tomorrow. But spring is here by the calendar. Love your photos
Not only Minnesota. The same here in Estonia. We had one of the most beautiful snow falls today. I see the spring in the sunshine and hear it in the bird song.
A slow melt is good, for sure. Even in Tennessee we are expecting snow tonight. But we have had many teases of spring. Thank you for this clear picture of your world!
Your seedlings give me such hope. Thank you! I needed that as I sit here listening to the latest weather report of our 4th nor’easter in New England in two weeks. I’m so done, and so are my poor crocus! 😦
Wow you really are itching for spring! I’m looking out the window at snow too!
I love your positivity! I thought we had it bad in Illinois, but we don’t have any snow! Just cold. I hope the typical signs of spring are near and the snow melts soon. 🙂
I love forsythia and spotted my favorite bush on my way to the middle school today for book club. I used to watch it daily, now it’s an occasional treat when I drive south. I like the way you mentioned the astronomical and the meteorological calendars. I’ve always observed the later, but the former really does make more sense, doesn’t it? When I used to have my students Kiss Summer Goodbye on September 21 and Embrace Festive Autumn, they always insisted they had already done that when school started. And somehow the entire month of December definitely belongs in winter, doesn’t it? Good luck with saying goodbye to winter. I just noticed that it’s snowing at my son’s place in VA.
I love how you notice the subtle signs of spring. That gives us hope even when it’s so cold, doesn’t it?
I enjoyed your fun piece about spring. Spring has arrived here… however, a bit chilly still. And as of yesterday, for the next 6 months, our days will be longer than our nights! I love that.
It is one of the great pleasures of spring – the longer days!