Is it safe to say winter is done?

Wednesday, March 1, marks the first day of meteorological spring and the end of winter, at least in meteorological terms.

The more common kickoff for spring is the vernal equinox, which is coming on Monday, March 20. That’s referred to as the first day of astronomical spring.

Meteorologists denote the seasons using three-month time blocks to make data tabulation easier. So meteorological spring runs until May 31. Meteorological summer begins on June 1 (also the first day of the Atlantic hurricane season).

Alabama has been known to have major cold snaps even in the springtime, so it’s not safe to say the winter chill is gone for good. (The March 1993 record snowfall — or Storm of the Century — is a good reminder of that.)

However, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a decent probability of above-average temperatures for the next three months across Alabama, with slightly higher odds for extreme south Alabama (see that forecast at the top of this post).

As for the upcoming month, there could be a little cooler weather in the next few weeks, according to the CPC.

Its 6- to 10-day temperature outlook, which stretches until March 10, shows a good chance for above-average (for March) temperatures across Alabama. Here’s the 6- to 10-day outlook:

But things may change farther out. The 8- to 14-day outlook flips the script and shows that below-average temperatures will be possible across the northern part of Alabama from March 8-14. South Alabama could see temperatures around average.

Here’s the 8- to 14-day outlook:

And the 3-4 week outlook shows slightly higher chances for below-average temperatures across more of Alabama from March 11-24:

Of course these outlooks are only a guide, and trends could change.

Other things to look for this month:

* The time is set to spring forward an hour on Sunday, March 12 at 2 a.m. We will transition from Standard Time to Daylight-Saving Time.

* Astronomical spring begins Monday, March 20.

* By the end of the month sunsets will be much later. Birmingham will have its first sunset of March today at 5:43 p.m. By March 31 the sunset will come at 7:06 p.m. For Huntsville the sunsets will also get later: From 5:42 p.m. (today) to 7:06 p.m. (March 31). For Mobile the sunsets will go from 5:50 p.m. (today) to 7:10 p.m. by the end of the month.