First Day of Spring - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

It might not feel like it, but today is the first day of spring.

Compared to last year's high of 57 degrees in Bismarck, today was a little cooler only 26.

There are still ice chunks floating down the Missouri River in Bismarck on the first day of Spring.

It might be a chilly start to the season, but it could be worse.

"We've seen much colder in North Dakota on the first day of spring, but certainly one of the colder ones," Joshua Scheck said.

The Saint Mary's Track team isn't minding the cooler start to the season.

"I'm not wearing a headband today I don't even need to wear gloves it's great," Runner Juliana Keller said.

With the bright sun, these runners are staying plenty warm.

"You know when we get going and the sun is out it's really, it's a gorgeous day right guys," Coach Gregory Crane said.

An interesting tidbit about the first day of spring, your shadow is half the length of what it is the first day of winter, and twice the length of what it is the first day of summer.

"The sun angle changes with the season, so we see our highest sun angle at noon on the first day of summer, and our lowest sun angle on noon on the first day of winter," Scheck said.

While many people are anxiously awaiting for the temperatures to feel more "spring" like, businesses are also looking forward to warmer days..

The sooner it warms up, the sooner Plant Perfect can start selling annuals.

"Mostly once we get into mid April, but if the weather breaks we start warming up, our nursery stock we'll start taking that out of storage as early as April first if we can," Hollatz said.

In the meantime, these runners will continue to train in whatever temperatures spring their way.

"It's fantastic, it's beautiful outside, great day for a run," Crane said.

Joshua Scheck with the National Weather Service says we could see some slight warm ups, but the cold air could stick around for the next couple weeks.