Winter to spring - Transition season: What it means for you

Sunny with temperatures in the 80s one day, then snow the next? This is transition season! And the roller coaster weather can happen just about anywhere in the U.S.

Many welcome spring weather with open arms as the transition season starts, but it can feel like whiplash when winter comes roaring back a day or two later. Strong cold fronts can halt warm-weather activities and send temperatures plummeting even 40 or 50 degrees within 24 hours - and it's totally normal in the U.S.

Earth is always trying to reach equilibrium, which plays a big role in why we experience weather in the first place. During the winter-to-spring transition in the northern hemisphere, the warmth from accumulating sunlight hours from the winter solstice onward provides a catalyst for active weather systems across the U.S., starting around February.

When warm, water-laden surges from the south during the transition season, severe weather is common due to a cold front quickly sweeping through right behind it. That is, the Earth is trying to reach an equilibrium state, and because of it, you may notice heat and tornadoes one day, then wake up to snow the next morning.