'Spring Forward' This Weekend, Plus Other Important Dates

March came in like a lion — with a toothache — for much of the country, but hang in there. Spring officially arrives Tuesday, March 20, and St. Louis is already starting to shake off winter and fill the calendar with events — like dueling St. Patrick's Day parades. The Saint Louis Zoo is also looking for volunteer frog watchers as thing warm up.

Spring officially arrives with the vernal equinox March 20 at 11:15 p.m. CDT. That’s when the Northern Hemisphere starts to tilt toward the sun, bringing earlier sunrises, later sunsets, softer winds and green plants sprouting from the ground. In theory, at least.

Here are some need-to-know dates in the St. Louis area this spring.

March 11: Daylight Saving Time actually arrives before the start of spring. Remember the maxim — spring forward, and set your clock ahead an hour. Most cell phones and devices will update automatically.

March 14: Hundreds of school walkouts are planned for 10 a.m. local time on the 14th to protest gun violence and call for stricter gun laws. The protests will last for 17 minutes — one for each victim killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting in Parkland, Florida on Valentine's Day. Many of the marches are being organized through the Women's March Network. Find out if your school is participating here.

March 17: St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Saturday this year, so expect extra revelry this year. Patch will be covering St. Pat's festivities in St. Louis, so be on the lookout for a photo gallery next weekend.

March 24: The national “March for our Lives” rally protesting gun violence and calling for an end to school shootings takes place in Washington, D.C., and many cities across the country. The national event is being spearheaded by students from Parkland, Florida, who survived the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. A sister march in St. Louis is planned for 10 a.m. downtown.

March 30: This date marks Good Friday for Christians and the beginning of Passover for Jews.

Image via Shutterstock