As a potent New Year's winter storm bears down on a broad swath of the United States, spring may seem a very long ways off.
But if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, keep the faith: Since the December solstice on the 21st, the days have been lengthening, heralding an eventual return to warmer days and spring blossoms.
Of course, if you happen to live in the Southern Hemisphere, you may have noticed that the opposite has been true.
