Central Illinois
Weather Forecast Office
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.
US Dept of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Weather Service
Central Illinois
1362 State Route 10
Lincoln, IL 62656
217-732-7321 (forecast recording) or 217-732-3089
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