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- There are 3 variants of when spring begins.
- The meteorological beginning of spring begins on March 1st.
- Astronomical or calendar spring begins on March 20th.
- The phenological spring is based on the plants and is therefore not tied to a fixed date.
Meteorological start of spring
To calculate the climate data, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) divided the year into four periods of approximately equal length. Spring begins March 1st, summer begins June 1st, and so on. This division makes it easier to create statistics and climate comparisons. Spring lasts until May 31st in the Northern Hemisphere.
Legend:
The day on which the sun is directly above the equator determines the astronomical start of spring.
SRF Meteo
Astronomical start of spring
The Earth’s annual rotation around the sun is the basis for the astronomical calendar. In the astronomical calendar, the seasons are defined by the equinoxes and solstices. Equinox is when the sun is directly over the equator – this year on Wednesday, March 20th at 4:06 a.m. Astronomical spring begins right then and lasts until the summer solstice on June 21st.
Phenological beginning of spring
Phenological start of spring
Unlike meteorology, there are a total of ten seasons in phenology. These are not tied to fixed data, but are based on various indicator plants. The start therefore depends on the weather, location and altitude. The phenological spring consists of three phases: early spring, first spring and full spring.
Meteo, 1.3.24, SRF1, 7:55 p.m
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