'Spring is here' — but don't swap your raincoat for your shades just yet

Have you been enjoying the afternoon sunshine lately? Maybe you've been shedding an extra layer here and there. Are your allergies acting up?

Well, that just might be because spring is in the air. March 20 is the first official day of spring.

Nick Bond is the Washington State Climatologist.

He says the mornings may still be chilly and rain is likely to return next week — along with more snow in the mountains.

But the days are longer and, in fact, "spring is here," he says.

Bond notes temperatures will be slow to rise and "cold, drenching showers" will persist into April thanks to the La Nina conditions of this winter.

Those especially wet conditions could mean a slow start to this year's fire season; the moisture and deep snowpack will keep the landscape from drying out quickly, Bond says.

"But this summer, looking deep into the crystal ball, looks to be on the warm, dry side," he adds. "So, there's the potential, especially toward the end of summer, to have some more active fire weather."