Happy Monday and welcome to another edition of Beyond The Forecast!
We are getting a taste of spring-like warmth in the days leading up to the new season. Officially, spring begins at 11:33 a.m. on Sunday.
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Our average high and low on that date (March 20) is 60 and 39 degrees, respectively.
A common misconception of the spring equinox (or vernal equinox) is that we have equal day and night on the day that spring begins. The term “equinox” means equal night, but we will get about 12 hours and 8 minutes of daylight and 11 hours and 52 minutes of nighttime Sunday.
We actually get equal day and night a few days earlier. It happens to fall on St. Patrick’s Day this year and is known as the spring “equilux.”
The sun will rise at 7:28 a.m. and set at 7:28 p.m. on Thursday.
So why is this case? Well, light refraction is the primary cause. You’ve noticed this if you’ve ever looked toward the horizon either a few minutes before sunrise or after sunset. Even when the sun is not visible, we still have light in the sky which extends the daylight hours.
Switching gears to your forecast, we expect lots of spring warmth this week! While sunshine hangs around Tuesday, we expect more clouds and showers late Wednesday into Thursday. Meteorologist Chris Michaels breaks down everything you need to know in today’s forecast article.
You can always get specific forecast details for your zone, whether it’s the Roanoke Valley, Southside, the Highlands or elsewhere around Southwest and Central Virginia, anytime at WSLS.com/weather. Know your zone!
In case you missed it, we’re posting great weather and science content on WSLS.com. Here are a few links from the past week to check out:
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-- Justin McKee