It’s cold outside, but Chicago is hitting some big daylight milestones this month

Temperatures outside are still downright frigid, but there are hints of spring in the air even as the mercury stays well below normal.

Chicago-area residents can be forgiven for feeling like spring is still an eternity away, but the reality is that it’s approaching quickly and we’re hitting some key milestones on the path to warmer weather.

Tuesday was the first of those for Chicago-area residents, as sunset occurred after 5 p.m. According to Sunrise-Sunset.org, that marks the first time sunset has occurred after 5 p.m. in the city since daylight saving time ended in early November.

That milestone won’t be the only one the city will experience this week either. On Friday, Chicago will see more than 10 hours of daylight for the first time since November 11, according to the website.

After that, the days will keep ticking down toward the start of spring, which officially begins just before 10 a.m. on March 20.

Daylight saving time will begin again on Sunday, March 8, and the city of Chicago will exceed 12 hours of daylight a few days later on March 16.