MID-ATLANTIC STATES

Adirondack Park, New York Spring

Spring officially begins on March 21 or 22, called the spring (or vernal) equinox, when the sun, heading north, appears directly overhead at noon at the equator. In spring, the first incursions of mild air from the tropical Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico arrive in the Mid-Atlantic States region, but the Arctic can still send bitter-cold air masses south; the clash provides some of the most violent weather of the year. March is often snowy and cold. Sunshine begins to increase in April and May, as do showers and thunderstorms.

PHOTO: George Wuerthner