There's one way to make the prospect of a first-day-of-spring snowstorm a little less painful: Free dessert. To celebrate the first day of spring, Rita's will be giving away free Italian ice from noon to 9 p.m. at all of its locations.

If Italian ice isn't your thing, how about an ice cream cone? Dairy Queen will give away free ice cream cones at all non-mall locations of both Dairy Queen and DQ Grill & Chill restaurants. While the small vanilla soft serve cones will be free, customers participating in the fourth annual Free Cone Day will be asked to donate money for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. More than $300,000 was raised last year on Free Cone Day.