National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Excessive Rainfall Possible for the Gulf Coast and Florida; October Heat Wave in California

A slow moving front will be the focus area for heavy to excessive rainfall and a threat for flash/urban flooding across parts of the Gulf Coast into central/northern Florida early this week. Abnormally hot, potentially record-breaking, temperatures will continue for southern California and stretch north toward the Bay Area and Central Valley this week. Read More >

Winter officially ends at 4:24 pm CDT on Monday, March 20th, with the arrival of the vernal equinox and the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. 

During the equinox, the geometric center of the Sun's disk crosses the Equator, and days in the Northern Hemisphere become longer than the nights. The word "equinox" is derived from the Latin word aequinoctium, meaning "equal night".  However, despite common belief, the day of the equinox does not feature exactly 12 hours of daylight and darkness, as it is a function of solar refraction and an observer's latitude.  The particular date of equal days and nights (referred to as "equilux") is actually a few days before the vernal equinox at our latitude. 
 

Vernal equinox is 4:24 pm CDT Monday, March 20th