Not soon enough: Today marks the first day of spring

Believe it or not, spring has arrived.

Winter officially ended this morning at 3.29 a.m. PTwhen the sun moveddirectly over the equator, marking the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere.

It's the time of year when the days grow longer, tree buds swelland temperaturesrise.

On Sunday,thesun came out though temperatures remained chilly givingB.C.'s Lower Mainland a partial taste of what's to come.

"Forget spring, I want summer," saidEliaChung, a vendor at the farmersmarket at Hastings Park.

"We've had way too much cold this winter."

Last year at this time, Vancouver streets were already under a canopy of pink cherry blossoms. This year, it's a canopy of buds.

LindaPoole, founder of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, said those the blossoms will arrive, they'll just be late.

"Itwill just go longer into May," Poole said.

According to Environment Canada, temperatures will rise this week, up to 12 C in the Lower Mainland, but the rain returns Tuesday and will stay all week.

With files from Deborah Goble