Is Spring Here?

Spring is the season of new beginnings.

It is the time of year when the earth comes to life with new growth after the cold winter. Hibernating animals start to awake and new seedlings and bulbs sprout out of the ground. The temperatures begin to rise, the days get slightly longer, the trees begin to bud and birds return after migrating to warmer climates.

But how you define the first day of spring depends on whether you are referring to the meteorological or astronomical spring......

Meteorological or Astronomical Spring

The meteorological calendar splits the year into four seasons of three months each and so spring begins on 1 March until 31 May, whereas the astronomical spring refers to the position of the Earth’s orbit in relation to the sun and the equinoxes and solstices.

The meteorological spring has fixed dates each year, whereas the astronomical definition is flexible.

Lots of people really love spring as being their favourite season, because it follows the dark dreary days of the winter, with the days beginning to get brighter and longer before the onset of summer.



In a year there are two equinoxes (spring and autumn) and two solstices (summer and winter).

So the astronomical spring in 2024 will begin on Wednesday 20 March and ends on Thursday 20 June.

Some spring quotes:

“Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s Party!’” - Robin Williams

“Spring unlocks the flowers to paint the laughing soil.” - Bishop Reginald Heber

“The first blooms of spring always make my heart sing.” - S. Brown

“Spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm.” - John Muir

“No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.” – English Proverb

“Spring is when life’s alive in everything.” – Christina Rossetti

“Never yet was a springtime, when the buds forgot to bloom.”– Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” – William Shakespeare

Some facts about spring:

The warmest spring on record was 2011 with an average daytime temperature of 9.2 °C.
The coldest spring was the spring of 1962, with an average daytime maximum of 5.8 °C.
The wettest spring was in 1947 with 331.7 mm of rainfall.
The sunniest spring was in 1948 when a total of 558 hours of sunshine were recorded.
The average temperature for spring is 7.7 °C.
Snow is more likely to be seen at Easter than Christmas
The majority of the world's bluebells are found in the UK in spring
Spring is the time when animals wake up from hibernation and birds make nests to hatch their eggs
Birds return from winter vacations in warmer climates
There is more daylight in the spring
Trees start to produce leaves again