Minnesota Weather: 1st Day Of Astrological Spring To Be Breezy, Cloudy With Average Highs

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Wednesday afternoon – at precisely 4:58 p.m. – will mark the vernal equinox, the official start of spring in the northern hemisphere.

Meteorologist Matt Brickman says the first day of astrological spring in Minnesota will be breezy, cloudy, with average highs in the low-to-mid 40s.

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The equinox happens when the center of the sun aligns with earth's equator. It happens once in the spring (vernal equinox) and once in fall (autumnal equinox).

During the equinox, daytime and nighttime durations are close to equal across the planet.

However, meteorologists mark the start of spring earlier, on March 1.

Scientists use meteorological spring because it's easier to measure, as it always consists of March, April and May. The other seasons are also broken up in to three month periods.

Because of earth's elliptical orbit and leap years, astrological seasons can vary in length, a headache for record-keepers.

Perfect kicks for the first day of spring & #InternationalDayOfHappiness. pic.twitter.com/P1DwxJC87h

— Matt Brickman (@Matt_Brickman) March 20, 2019