March 2023 - On & Off Earth
I know I am writing this for the month of March but am having some minor confusion, seasonal drift confusion. According to the sun, which continues to move ever so slightly out of my house every day, we are in late winter. But, then I step outside and the jonquils and forsythia are blooming, maple buds are popping and TV weather folk are warning allergy sufferers of high pollen counts.
While not unusual to see some bugs about on any warm day in the winter, last Friday I saw a butterfly…in February. Blizzard warnings in southern California and we have butterflies flitting about. Extreme seems to be the new normal on our warming world; will our snow storm for the year be after we tilt into Spring? I will make no wagers.
I hope you have been getting out just after sunset to enjoy both the mildness of February and the daily shrinking of the gap between the two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter. After their close encounter on March 1st, Jupiter will continue to fall from the sky as we leave the King of the Planets behind. It will have a quick, hard to see meet-up with Mercury on the 27th (great view of the west and binoculars needed) before joining Saturn in the morning sky.
Venus will continue to track Earth down and dominate the sky after sunset as the Evening Star. Mars, still brighter than nearby winter stars but much dimmer than Venus, remains high overhead at dusk, slowly drifting westward. Mars won’t have its close encounter with Venus until very late in the spring. For astrology buffs, the sun moves from Aquarius into Pisces on the 13th. The Full Worm moon brightens the sky all night on the 7th into the 8th.
The annual March time shock happens this year in the wee hours of the 12th as we ‘spring forward’ into Daylight-Saving Time. Whether we ‘fall back’ in early November or remain trapped in a dark morning gloom of year round daylight-saving remains a question not likely discussed or answered until Fall. Until then, I will enjoy sleeping-in during the extra hour of morning darkness and wandering late in the extended evening light.
Our orbit brings the sun back to a position directly over the equator at 5:24pm EDT on March 20th. That marks the Vernal Equinox and begins Spring in the northern hemisphere. Sunlight gains about 2 minutes on darkness every day of March. Plenty of time to get out for a wander on your planet.
I just did a survey back eleven years in my weather journals looking for trends or patterns that would lend me insight into what to expect for March weather. I looked for days that dipped below freezing and days that temperatures climbed above 70; a few days made both lists! 2013, ’14, ’18 and ’19 trended cold, in 2012, ’16, ’20, ’21 and ’22 warmer air ruled the month; March days in the 80’s are on the rise.
What will March 23 have in store for us? I know after spending ten years living in the mountains of Colorado, where it can snow any day of the year, I tend to be a bit over-prepared any time I venture out. So, I will be ready for the pleasant days when the March lamb visits as well as when the March lion roars into town. Cold or hot, cool or warm, calm or breezy; there’s plenty of daylight and a walk is always better than sitting around inside.
Not as cute as the puppy but what a handsome dog!!!
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