Meteorological Spring Begins: How El Niño Could Impact Temps In MA

MASSACHUSETTS — High temperatures in Massachusetts are expected to be around 50 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday, the first day of meteorological spring.

Astronomical seasons change with equinoxes and solstices, determined by Earth’s tilt and the sun’s alignment over the equator. On that calendar, the vernal equinox on Tuesday, March 19, marks the official first day of spring.

Meteorological observing and forecasting led to the creation of the meteorological seasons, which are broken into four three-month blocks based on the actual temperature cycle and calendar. The meteorological seasons more closely reflect actual conditions than do astronomical seasons, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Centers for Environmental Education.

A recent forecast from The Weather Channel and Atmospheric G2 said spring will arrive early in most of the United States as an El Niño climate pattern falls apart after many areas saw a record-mild winter.

The National Weather Service forecast for Friday and into early March calls for temperatures more akin to late April with highs in the 50s each day of the National Weather Service seven-day forecast.

Generally, meteorological spring in the Northern Hemisphere is thought of as a three-month transition season from winter to summer that occurs in March, April and May.

Meteorological fall — September, October and November — is also thought of as a time of transition, from summer to winter. Meteorological summer starts June 1 and continues through August, and meteorological winter starts Dec. 1 and continues through February of the following year.

That look at the season ahead suggests Massachusetts will be above-normal to well-above-normal in temperatures through March, April and May.

• Related: As El Niño Falls Apart, Spring May Come Early To MA: Forecast