http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Samaia/Meteorological%20Spring.mp3
Spring is weeks away. But as far as forecasters are concerned, winter is over. March kicked off meteorological spring and with it, a month of transition.
Meteorologists break the seasons into three months. Making December, January and February winter. NBC Connecticut's Bob Maxon says that's pretty much the only thing that makes their calendar different from the commonly used system.
"Now we go into spring of March, April and May. And then summer of June, July and August. And it's just the way the meteorological calendar lines up as opposed to say the celestial calendar or the calendar Julius Ceasar came up with."
Here are the days when temperatures can be in the 30s one day, and 60s and sunny the next. Maxon says this month temperatures will rise by an average of 10 to 12 degrees.
"This is usually when you see the sides of your smile turn in the right direction because we go from an average high of 42. And then by vernal equinox and by the end of the month, our high temperatures run between 52 and 54 degrees. And Included in that can be some very warm days in the 60s and 70s. So, March is a wonderful transition month."
But this doesn't mark the end of the snow season. There's still some snow on the way and possibly by mid-week.
"But the storms are less frequent and they usually don't produce as much, and even if they do, the stronger sun angle and the longer days go right to work on the snow and it usually melts away and disappears fairly quickly."
Connecticut usually gets about 6 to 7 inches of snow in March.