In the southeast corner of the States, it's not always easy to know what the weather is going to do on any given day. Spring and fall are notoriously volatile seasons that love swinging back and forth from hot and cold as often as they please. Thankfully, once summer and winter arrive, they usually stick hard to their respective extreme. As such, here are six ways to tell summer has officially arrived in the Heart of Dixie.

1. Triple Digit Heat

We haven't hit the hottest part of the season yet, but triple-digit temperatures are not uncommon at the height of Alabama summer. Even on days where the heat itself doesn't reach the magic 100-degree mark, the humidity level often compensates and kicks into overdrive. Muggy, clingy air only serves to magnify whatever heat we do have, and triple digit heat combined with humidity throws most ideas of going outdoors, well, right out the window.

2. Nearly dying from getting in a vehicle.

Leaving a window cracked or the sun(moon)roof popped open is an absolute necessity during Alabama's summer. The idea remains extremely plausible even when it's raining outside; the heat inside a sealed car is insane. I mean, we can literally bake cookies in our cars. Add to this a dark colored interior, leather seats, or, God forbid, both, and you've got a real issue. Oh, and don't even think about touching that metal section of the seat belt...

3. The bugs are back in town.

Sure; spring brings about the beginning of bug season. Summer just means the bugs are out in full force, and anyone who they deem worthy is a target of their wrath. These guys are among the worst:

Mosquitoes will make just about any outdoor activity impossible to enjoy without proper means to prevent their arrival. There is an arsenal of products dedicated to the destruction of these buggers. The same can be said about these wasps, as well. There is no season where they are more active, and there are numerous products made for their demise. Summer would be impossible otherwise...

4. Rain comes up out of nowhere.

Do you remember how they forecast said there was maybe a 1-2% chance of rain today? Yeah, keep that in mind as you run for cover from that freakish blow-up storm. Rain comes at any time it chooses during the summer months, and it never has to stay for very long at all. Often times, it comes just long enough to ruin whatever outdoor activity you were enjoying by drenching all of your surroundings or leaving the air too humid to tolerate.

Thankfully, the real start of an Alabama summer is not filled with only negative things. Consider the following:

5. SO. MUCH. DAYLIGHT

You wanna stay out until 8:30 swimming? You can do that. Playing sports with the neighbor kids? You can do that, too. The sun doesn't finish disappearing on the horizon until at least 8:00; this leaves more than enough time to enjoy outdoor activities of all kinds. The best part is you don't have to worry about artificial light; instead, you trade the need for light for the need of bug spray (see point 3 above).

6. Outdoor Activities in General

The cold is gone, and it has taken the need to seek shelter for warmth with it. Swimming, yard games, cookouts, sports, and more can now be enjoyed at all points of the day. The flip side is you may still end up inside in seek of shelter for cool, instead (see point 1 as a grim reminder).

Summer brings a new set of challenges to the great state of Alabama; it ain't always easy to deal with. There are definitely enough perks to help balance it all out, though. You just have to know how to handle what it throws at you.

Mosquito image owned by BBC News. All rights reserved, no infringement intended. For more information about the other hazards mosquitoes pose, follow the link in the photo, or go to www.bbc.com for more information.