National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Areas of Severe Thunderstorms and Excessive Rainfall Today

Scattered severe thunderstorms capable of damaging wind gusts and some hail are expected this afternoon and evening from the Upper Ohio River Valley into the Northeast, and from the Appalachians into the Mid-Atlantic States. Excessive rainfall from heavy thunderstorms may produce areas of flash flooding from southern New Mexico into the western and northern Gulf Coast into Wednesday. 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