Meteorological spring starts on March 1 and runs through May 31 every year, regardless of the exact moment of the vernal equinox. This allows the seasons to be more consistent, which is important when looking at weather data, especially temperatures. With more consistent seasons, meteorologists and climatologists are able to better analyze temperature trends and precipitation patterns across a set period of time. Calculating a seasonal average is much easier when that season starts and ends on the same day year after year.

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For more information about Silver Maple Flowers: https://pbase.com/britestar/maple_tree_flowers
The above cluster was 2/3 the size of my thumb fingernail. The flowers are tiny and usually missed by the casual observer.