By BARBARA GREEN
While the morning temperatures on the opening day of spring were a bit chillier than previous days, Texans welcomed the first “official” day of spring on March 20.
At 12:15 a.m. (eastern standard time) on Tuesday the Vernal Equinox arrived signaling the new season. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, this is the moment when in the northern Hemisphere the sun crosses the equator and the days and nights are equal in hours.
The almanac explains vernal translates to new and fresh, while equinox is derived from Latin terms for equal and night. Despite another pending “Noreastern” on the east coast, spring season has begun. Our hours of daylight – the period of time each day between sunrise and sunset have been growing slightly longer each day since the winter solstice in December, which is the shortest day of the year. The Vernal Equinox marks the turning point “when daylight begins to win out over darkness.”

Read the full story on local agricultural prospects and tasks to help get you ready for springtime tasks.