Balancing an Egg on the Equinox?
Rumor has it that it's possible to balance an egg on the day of the spring equinox, but this myth simply isn't true.
However, it is true that spring is on its way.
This year the spring equinox, also known as the vernal equinox, officially started on Saturday, March 20 at 1:32 p.m. EDT.
The legend of standing a raw egg on its end on the first day of spring can be attributed to the Chinese.
They believed that due to the sun's equidistant position between the poles of the Earth at the time of the equinox, special gravitational forces apply.
While you may be able to balance an egg with patience on the day of the spring equinox, this can also be done on every other day of the year with the same results.
Winter ends and spring begins when the sun is directly overhead on the equator.
Day and night are of approximately equal length at 12 hours each on the day of the vernal equinox.
The apparent south-north migration of the sun's direct rays occurs because the tilt of the Earth's axis and the movement of the Earth around the sun.
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Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 113° | Death Valley, CA |
| Low | 30° | Bellemont, AZ |
| Precip | 9.70" | Miami, FL |
WeatherWhys®
A large, horrific tornado struck the city of Joplin, Mo., last year on this date. The twister cut a deadly path across the south side of the city, leaving over 159 dead and at least 1,150 injured. The Joplin tornado currently ranks as the 7th deadliest tornado in U.S. history.
This Day In Weather History
New Hampshire (1814)
A tornado crossed Merrimac, Litchfield, Londonderry and North Chester. The same storm produced hailstones that had an 11-inch circumference and weighed 1/2 pound.
Northeast (1989)
More rain in an already wet month. Monthly totals topped 11 inches at New York City, 9 inches at Bridgeport, Conn., and 8 inches at Baltimore (all three totals set records for May).
Rough Weather
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