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Spring is here, but don't pack away your rain gear just yet After months of wrapping myself in sweaters to keep warm, I can always tell when spring has arrived: flowers bloom, temperatures rise, kids start wearing shorts and I realize I have only a few weeks to get into shape for swimsuit season. My own barometers aside, what actually signals the changing season? -- Erika S., Ashland Get ready to pull on that swimsuit, Erika. Spring is here and summer is just around the corner. According to the National Weather Service, spring arrived at 11:35 p.m. Sunday with the vernal equinox, making today the first full day of spring. The equinox marks the day when the sun is directly above the earth's equator, making night and day last equal lengths of time around the globe, the World Book Encyclopedia says. The arrival of spring does not mean temperatures will immediately rise, nor does it put a stop to rainy weather. But as the earth continues its orbit around the sun, the North Pole will begin to point toward the big star, lengthening days in the Northern Hemisphere, bringing warmer weather and other seasonal changes. The summer solstice falls in mid June, when the sun reaches its most northerly point, directly over the Tropic of Cancer, and marks the longest day of year. It also signals a turn in events, since days become shorter as fall draws near. (Send your questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; or by fax to (541) 776-4376; or by e-mail to: [email protected] Please include your name, address and phone number for verification.) Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA