Vernal Equinox

Unlike some divisions of time like hours, minutes, seconds, and weeks, the seasons are actually determined by nature. The Vernal Equinox is when the sun crosses the equator, making hours of day and night equal - at least in some parts of the world. I'm not sure that actually happens in places like Antarctica and at the North Pole.

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, today is the first day of Spring. This is the season when flowers are supposed to bloom, the sky should be blue, and birds and butterflies should be seen flying around. But where I live, in the Sierra foothills of Northern California, it seems that Winter has just arrived. We had the first real snowfall last week. But we know things will warm up.

Other parts of the planet have had different kinds of weather, but the movement of the sun controls the seasons for all of us.

Soon people in Australia and Brazil will be harvesting crops and preparing for cold weather while those of us in the Northern Hemisphere will be putting away our sweaters and coats and planting things in our gardens.

What's the weather like where you live?

There are pleasant and unpleasant things about every season. Which season do you like best?