Longer and brighter days are on the horizon

Publisher’s note: Here’s some encouraging information from AccuWeather for readers who are ready to put the winter behind us.

Days will become noticeably longer throughout March, with many areas of the country gaining 2 or 3 minutes of sunlight with each passing day.

By the end of March, the sun will be above the horizon more than an hour longer than on March 1 for most of the United States.

More than 100 minutes of daylight will be gained throughout the month of March across the northernmost states. More than 80 minutes of daylight will be gained throughout the month of March in Boston, New York City, Chicago and Denver.

Following the spring equinox March 20, the balance of day versus night will shift in favor of brightness, with the days lasting longer than 12 hours, while the nights shorten to less than 12 hours across the entire Northern Hemisphere.

The biggest sunlight shift will take place on Sunday, March 9, as daylight saving time begins. Clocks will “spring forward” one hour, resulting in later sunrises and later sunsets. Daylight saving time will continue throughout the summer and well into autumn, ending on Nov. 2.

Across the Northern Hemisphere, the sun is also gradually climbing higher in the sky throughout March. The uptick in duration and intensity of sunlight has a direct connection with the weather, especially during spells of late-season wintry conditions.

Even if it’s cloudy outside, the stronger sunlight in March makes it more difficult for snow to accumulate during the daytime, except during a major snowstorm or during heavy snow squalls.

The stronger sunlight brings a different springtime danger. The glass windows of vehicles act like a greenhouse, and on a sunny day, it can become dangerously hot inside a car in a matter of minutes, even with the windows cracked.

Tragic cases of children dying in hot cars have been reported when outside temperatures were as low as 60 degrees.

In 2023, two hot car deaths were reported in Alabama and Florida between Feb. 27 and March 6.