ROANOKE, Va. – The start of Spring is almost here! While warmer weather and the blossoming of flowers and trees takes center stage, we want to explain the science behind the season.
The Vernal or Spring Equinox takes place on March 20th at 5:01 A.M. This is when the Earth’s poles neither tilt toward or away from the sun.
The reason why we have seasons is because of the tilt of the Earth. Earth’s axis is tilted 23.5°.
During each season, the planet is aligned slightly different in comparison to the sun. This is what brings different types of weather to various parts of the Earth year round!
Snow in the Winter, and Heat in the Summer (northern and southern hemispheres have opposite seasons).
For the Vernal Equinox, the earth’s axis is not tilted toward, or away from the sun at all (Summer & Winter). As a result, the equator will have almost exactly 12 hours of light and dark on this day. The only other time this happens is during the Autumnal Equinox in September.
From now through Summer, we will gain more and more daylight as the Earth’s axis starts to tilt little by little toward the sun in the northern hemisphere. This means the southern hemisphere will lose daylight each day through the Summer Solstice.
And while the science is cool, the beginning of Spring can be rough for some as pollen is reintroduced into the daily forecast. Unfortunately, this week brings high levels of pollen to Southwest and Central Virginia. But hey! At least it’s getting warmer out!
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