Welcome to spring!

Spring - the vernal equinox - officially arrives at 10:46 a.m. today (Friday). The sun's rays will be directly overhead at the equator, due to the combination of Earth's 23.5º tilt and the position in its orbit around Sol (our sun's official name). This diagram illustrates:

I'll let astronomers explain why the dates can vary a bit, since these are astronomical designations. (Meteorological seasons are consistent, with the arrival of spring designated as March 1st every year.)

Temperatures today and throughout the weekend will resemble spring as well, with daily maxima warming into the 70s and even the 80s by Sunday. After a chilly start in the upper 30s this morning Mecklenburg County will see plenty of sunshine accompanied by a southwesterly breeze. Clouds will move in this afternoon ahead of an approaching cold front, which will usher in chances of showers after 8 o'clock this evening. That rain looks to end before sunrise Saturday.

The cold front will take its time, finally edging across the area Saturday morning. This boundary is rather weak, not having particularly cold air behind it. In fact, tomorrow looks to be even warmer than today, with local thermometers topping out in the mid-70s under sunny skies and amid light winds.

Sunday will then dawn with temperatures only dipping to the lower 50s. Add 30 degrees to those readings under strengthening March sunshine and the afternoon highs will indeed reach into the 80s, almost twenty degrees above the average for the first weekend of spring. Enjoy the outdoors!