Spring arrives officially at 7:02 a.m. Wednesday (March 20), and with cold winds blowing off a 41-degree bay and ocean, the day promises to feel a lot like winter.

But for many in Ocean City, the new season holds the promise of better things to come. The countdown to the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend — the start of the traditional summer season in Ocean City — is down to just 66 days.

Half-price sales on tickets for Ocean City Boardwalk rides, a sure harbinger of spring, are opening this week. Easter events in Ocean City (March 30-31) will be followed by the annual Doo Dah Parade Weekend (April 13-14).

Wednesday's weather forecast calls for sun but a high temperature of only 47 degrees, and highs are not expected to top 50 degrees for at least another week. It promises to be a chilly start to the spring.

And the arrival of spring caps off a winter that was not particularly cold or snowy. Here the stats for December through February (from Atlantic City International Airport)..