Spring comes at 6:45 p.m. today, but fresh blooms, buds and warmer temperatures that are characteristic of the season aren’t here to stay yet.

Many Butler County residents awoke this morning to a wintery mix of rain and snow, with about an inch of accumulation expected in some places, said Lee Hendricks, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon Township, Allegheny County.

“We’re maybe a little bit delayed with the onset of spring here,” he said.

There are chances of snow on a few occasions through early April, following the below average temperatures that have been characteristic of the past winter.

Average high temperatures this time of year are in the mid 50s. However, a high of 45 degrees is expected in Butler today.

Patty Gibbons, coordinator of the Butler County Master Gardeners, said gardeners often are eager to get started at this time of year, but they’ll have to wait before it’s the right time to plant seeds and seedlings.

“They’re cooped up inside. They’re ready to get out there and start digging in the dirt. But it’s not a good time at all for planting,” Gibbons said.

“It’s still too cold. In our area here in Butler County, truthfully, you can try to push the envelope by getting things in the ground after May 15th. It’s better to wait until the end of May, 1st of June, especially with vegetables.”

That’s because plants are susceptible to frost until that time.

Also, perennials that pop up with peaks in warm weather should be carefully monitored in case of a frost.

“If we have a wave of really warm weather and things start coming up before they should, your more tender perennials ... then if we have bad weather forecast, the best thing to do would be to cover them up,” Gibbons said.

She did just that last spring with her azalea bushes, using old bed sheets before a frost hit.

However, gardeners don’t have to wait months to get their fingers in the dirt. The county Master Gardeners offer classes at Alameda Park and in Cranberry Township beginning next month.

In the meantime, pruning plants and soil testing can be done now to prepare for the gardening season.

“That basically tells you what types of fertilizers or any additional lime that you might need for your ground. That’s pretty much the starting point to having a successful garden,” said Ryan Harr, a watershed/nutrient management specialist at the county conservation district.

Soil tests also can determine pH, and are sold at the Penn State Extension office in Butler. Harr said the quality of the soil is analogous to having the right ingredients for a recipe.

“If you’re cooking the recipe for your cake, some people try to guess at that, and usually, when they do, they wonder why they have problems,” he said.

According to the “Old Farmers Almanac” website, the spring season is determined not by weather, but by the sun’s angle on Earth. The vernal equinox, occurring at 6:45 p.m. March 20, is when the sun crosses the celestial equator, making it spring.

From there, the time of sunlight continues to grow until June.