After a brutal winter that included extended deep freezes and a couple of monster snowstorms, we have reached the light — some light, at least — at the end of the tunnel.  The vernal equinox occurs at 10:46 a.m. on Friday, officially marking the beginning of astronomical spring. The sun a ligns directly over the equator, and we experience nearly equal periods of daylight and dark. After that, the Northern Hemisphere continues to receive more direct sunlight, which has a significant impact on our weather. Days get longer – and warmer – quickly!  In fact, between March 20 and April 1, our average high temperature goes up 4 degrees – from 51 degrees to 55.  And by the end of April, our average high is already closing in on 70!  As hard as it is to believe, in just a month, wearing shorts and a T-shirt could be almost a regular occurrence.  But don’t put away your warm jackets and coats just yet. Spring is also a time when we get crazy temperature swings. Think back to our 80-degree afternoon on March 10. Two short days and one powerful cold front later, we were languishing back in the 40s. Spring is a highly volatile season. Warm air from the south is ready to usher in summer, so it tries to displace our cold winter air.  But the cold doesn’t want to go without a fight, so it pushes back. We wind up in a tug-of-war, of sorts, with a push and pull between warm and cold that makes us wonder daily about wardrobe choices. This week is a perfect example. Afternoon highs in the 30s on Wednesday quickly get replaced by 60s this weekend. And then we crash back to the 40s on Monday. The clash of air masses comes with unsettled weather, too. Showers and storms are common when the two decide to rumble. This weekend, we’ll have a couple of chances for rain – Friday night into Saturday morning and again Sunday night into Monday.  Fortunately, no severe weather is likely, but you may need to pull out an umbrella. Also fortunate: Most of the weekend looks dry, so you should be able to enjoy some spring weather on this first weekend of spring! ...read more read less