Spring Forward With Some Sun!

Saturday and Sunday will be great days to go outside. The National Weather Service is calling for sun both days and, for this time of year, mild weather in the mid- to upper 40s. 

If you are considering a walk along one of Madison's many beaches, low tide will be around 2:55 p.m. on Saturday, and 4:42 p.m. Sunday. Walk around that time and you'll have a little bit more beach to enjoy. If you prefer a walk in the woods, check out the many options at the Madison Land Conservation Trust (MLCT) website. 

The MLCT also is sponsoring a "letterbox" hike Sunday at 1 p.m. on the Neck River Trail:

Join us for a Letterboxing Hike at 1:00 PM on March 10th on the Neck River Trail. Letterboxing is like an outdoor treasure hunt, where hikers follow clues to find boxes hidden in stone walls or hollow trees. Each box contains a rubber stamp and logbook for hikers to mark their finds. If you have a compass, bring it along to help navigate and follow the clues. This relatively short trail offers a remarkable variety of ecological settings including a lovely stretch along the Neck River. Waterproof footwear is advised, and dogs must be on a leash. Be prepared to scramble over and under some natural obstacles along the trail. In the event of rain or heavy snow, the hike will be cancelled. Event updates will be posted on Facebook. Meet at the trailhead on Opening Hill Rd. (near 200 Opening Hill Road), on the west side of the road. It is 0.4 mile south of the intersection of Opening Hill and Winterhill Roads. There is a yellow gate across the entrance to the trail. Learn more about the trail and download a trail map here.

Sunset on Saturday is 5:50 p.m. and sunset on Sunday is 6:51 p.m. Why the big difference in sunset times? On Sunday, at 2 a.m, we "spring forward" to 3 a.m. to mark the beginning of Daylight Savings Time. 

If you don't relish the idea of losing an hour, here are some strategies from earthsky.org to make the transition a little easier. Some of the tips are good any time of year, including eating healthy, make sure you have some stress-reduction strategies that work for you, and "try not to think in terms of what time it is “really.” In other words, after the clock change, just move forward without mentally checking back to yesterday’s time system." 

Here is the extended forecast for Madison from the National Weather Service: 

• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 46. North wind 8 to 11 mph.
• Saturday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 21. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 48. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
• Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. Calm wind.
• Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 50. Light and variable wind becoming south 8 to 13 mph in the morning.
• Monday Night: A chance of showers, mainly after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 40. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
• Tuesday: Showers. High near 51. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
• Tuesday Night: A chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
• Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 46.
• Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 27.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 42.
• Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 28.
• Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 40.