I love ChatGPT. I pretty much use it all the time now instead of Google. So when I turned to it to ask the simple question “When does spring arrive?”, I was met with this overly complex response:
Spring’s arrival depends on the context in which you’re asking—whether it’s meteorological, astronomical, or varies by geographic location. Let’s break it down:
- Meteorological Spring:
- In meteorology, seasons are divided into three-month blocks based on the annual temperature cycle. This makes data collection and comparison more systematic.
- Meteorological spring begins on March 1 and ends on May 31.
- Astronomical Spring:
- Astronomical seasons are based on the position of Earth in relation to the Sun. This is marked by equinoxes and solstices.
- Astronomical spring begins with the vernal equinox, which varies each year but generally falls on March 19, 20, or 21 in the Northern Hemisphere. It ends with the summer solstice, around June 20 or 21.
- In the Southern Hemisphere, these dates are reversed. Astronomical spring begins around September 22 and ends around December 21.
- Geographic Variation:
- The exact timing of spring can vary significantly depending on one’s geographical location. Regions closer to the equator experience less distinction between seasons, while higher latitudes and specific climates can see more pronounced seasonal changes.
- Some cultures and regions might have different definitions based on local climate, ecological factors, or traditional calendars.
Understanding these distinctions helps in appreciating the complexity behind what might seem like a straightforward question. Depending on the context, spring can be viewed through different lenses, each offering its unique perspective on the transition from winter to summer.
Hmm, not what I was hoping for. Asking it for when spring starts in Canada, or even just Ontario was no better.. Okay, back to Google., which gave me this as the first link:
This confirmed what I sort of remembered from school, which is “spring starts at the moment when the sun is directly over the equator, going from south to north: the ‘vernal equinox’“. But it also included this important table:
Okay, we’re getting closer to an answer: March 20 at 3:06 a.m. UTC. Luckily the website also gives us this table:
Popping over to https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/timezone/utc confirmed for me that we are currently 4 hours behind UTC, which means spring officially arrive tomorrow, March 19, at 11:06 p.m.
Why couldn’t ChatGPT tell me that?
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