Spring is Here, Even if it Doesn't Look So

Today is the first day of spring 2013, though you'd never know it by the foot of snow Tuesday's storm dropped on Merrimack.

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, spring started at 7:02 a.m. with the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. Equinox means "equal night" and is when the nights and days are about equal everywhere. During an equinox, the sun rises and sets due east and west. This means that the Earth's axis neither points toward or away from the sun.

Click here for more on spring and the vernal equinox.

Merrimack has plenty of locations for springtime frolicking, though you may have to let them thaw out a bit first. Here's a list of our favorites:

Horse Hill Nature Preserve – Bike, hike or otherwise, there are plenty of trails for exploration.

Watson Park – Grab a blanket and a good book and take along a picnic, when the snow melts and the sun's out it's the perfect place to catch some spring sun after a Vitamin D-sapping winter. (Plus when it warms up, you can swim in the river.)

Twin Bridge Park – It's pretty peaceful off the beaten path down by the brook, and what better place to take the kids to get out their energy on the rebuilt Kids Kove playground?

Did we leave your out your favorite springtime chill spot? Tell us in the comments field below!