Snow On The First Day Of Spring Is Pretty Normal

At long last, it is finally, finally the first day of spring. At least, that's what the calendar says. If you were judging the season based on the weather, which tends to be a pretty reliable indicator of what time of the year it is, you would probably think it was the dead of winter — late December or January. Why are we stuck in the winter that seems to have no end if it's supposed to be the season of love and joy, of flowers and baby animals and most importantly, sun? Why is it snowing on the first day of spring? Isn't it supposed to be sunny?

Actually, as it turns out, winter weather on the first day of spring is not so uncommon. It often snows on the spring equinox. According to the Weather Channel, the average last day of snow in Boston is March 27, so this year is not as much of an outlier as it may seem. Of course, this varies according to where you live — Boston and New York City are no strangers to snow through the early spring, but Rhode Island hasn't seen snow on the vernal equinox in 71 years. (Rhode Island's actually had a tough time of it — their coldest spring equinox ever was in 1956, when the temperature fell to a bitter 8 degrees.)

So even though it may feel like the days are always going to be nasty, brutish, and short, daylight is actually going to start happening eventually — in fact, the days are going to get longer and sunnier up until the summer solstice on June 21.

So don't despair that the cold weather is spoiling your spring. Even though temperatures will remain unseasonably cool through next week, here are five things to look forward to when spring eventually springs.

New Baby Animals

There are new baby animals at Yellowstone National Park. Springtime is baby time at Yellowstone, and all the fawns and baby elk and other infant versions of otherwise very large and intimidating animals are on display.

Flowers

The New York Botanical Gardens Chandelier Orchid Show continues through April 19, so catch it while you can. And gardening classes start on Saturday, so you can take anything from Container Gardening to Divide, Repot, Rejuvenate! And don't forget the Macy's Flower Show right in Midtown.

Showtime

Between planning for the New York Spring Spectacular with the Rockettes, which runs through May, and the Tribeca Film Festival in April, you'll barely have time to notice the transition from winter into spring.

Baseball

Baseball season starts on April 5 this year, so it's time to stock up on tickets.

Shakespeare in the Park

This year's festival starts in late May and features The Newsroom star Sam Waterston in The Tempest. I know I'll be there.

Images: Getty Images