Wednesday Is the First Day of Spring

Spring arrives officially at 7:02 a.m. Wednesday (March 20), and with cold winds blowing off a 41-degree bay and ocean, the day promises to feel a lot like winter.

But for many in Ocean City, the new season holds the promise of better things to come. The countdown to the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend — the start of the traditional summer season in Ocean City — is down to just 66 days.

Half-price sales on tickets for Ocean City Boardwalk rides, a sure harbinger of spring, are opening this week. Easter events in Ocean City (March 30-31) will be followed by the annual Doo Dah Parade Weekend (April 13-14).

Wednesday's weather forecast calls for sun but a high temperature of only 47 degrees, and highs are not expected to top 50 degrees for at least another week. It promises to be a chilly start to the spring.

And the arrival of spring caps off a winter that was not particularly cold or snowy. Here the stats for December through February (from Atlantic City International Airport).. 

February 2013  Normal for February Avg. High Temp. 42.4 44.3 Avg. Low Temp. 25.9 26.4 Mean Temp. 34.1 35.3 Precipitation Inches 5.16 2.87 Snow Inches 6.3 6.7
January 2013  Normal for January Avg. High Temp. 43.5 41.5 Avg. Low Temp. 26.7 24.5 Mean Temp. 35.1 33.0 Precipitation Inches 2.3 3.22 Snow Inches
2.6 4.5
December 2012  Normal for December Avg. High Temp. 51.4 46.0 Avg. Low Temp. 34.5 28.4 Mean Temp. 42.9 37.2 Precipitation Inches 7.15 3.64 Snow Inches 0 3.7