Showers and Storms in the East; Dangerously Hot and Dry in the West

A frontal boundary will bring scattered showers and storms to portions of the Central and Eastern U.S. through the end of the week. Meanwhile, dangerous heat will intensify across the Intermountain West and expand into the Central U.S. by early next week. Elevated wildfire conditions will develop across portions of the Northern/Central Plains and air quality issues will persist in the Northwest. Read More >

The Vernal Equinox occurred this morning at 11:15 AM CDT. This was the start of astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The sun's rays were directly overhead on the equator. Interesting tidbit, the word "equinox" is derived from two Latin words - aequus (meaning "equal") and nox (meaning "night").

On the two equinoxes (fall and spring), the length of day and night are nearly equal. The nearly equal hours of day and night are due to refraction of sunlight or a bending of the light's rays that causes the sun to appear above the horizon when the actual position of the sun is below the horizon. The days will continue to slowly get longer over the next couple of months, as the direct rays of the sun move slowly northward.

Earth's orbit around the sun

Davis
NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan, WI

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Showers and Storms in the East; Dangerously Hot and Dry in the West

Spring Began Today