Easter Monday, April18, 2022, 4 PM – we were in for a surprise – Snowfall after the onset of Spring with the Spring Equinox on 20 Mar 2022. This date marks the astronomical first day of spring around the Northern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, March equinox (Spring Equinox or Vernal Equinox) is when the Sun crosses the Equator, heading North. This is Utttarayana as per Hindu Astronomy. After this date, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted more toward the Sun, resulting in increasing daylight hours and warming temperatures. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) dutifully announced the arrival of Spring on March 20 and I obediently put away the snow-blower and the snow shovels in the shed. The weather is expected to be warmer during the final days of April, but a cooler pattern is expected for early May.The snowfall predicted was for about eight inches, what came down may be a bit more. Blame it on Climate Change or Global Warming!It appears that Mother Nature too was tricked by the weather. Daffodils have already sprouted and grown over eight inches tall. They will all thrive through this Spring-Snow-Storm and will flower in a fortnight.It is a Canadian saying that ‘April rains bring in May flowers.’ Tulips in our garden are also getting buried under the snow. What will April snow bring this May?The Weeping Pussy Willow catkins flowered, and they will lose their pollens with the snow piling on them. Some of the flowers in the inside will survive this onslaught of snow. A tricky storm track and a delicate temperature gradient hovering around 2oC resulted in this unprecedented spring snowfall. During this time of the year, the difference between a snowfall and a chilling rain is only a few degrees Celsius.
REJINCES 