Welcome, vernal equinox! Are you excited about the start of spring? Learn how daylight grows longer, flowers begin to bloom, and nature awakens from its winter slumber. Embrace the season of renewal and fresh beginnings!
When Is the First Day of Spring 2026?
In 2026, the March equinox happens on March 20 at 10:46 A.M. EDT. This falls on a Friday and is the astronomical beginning of the spring season in the Northern Hemisphere and the autumn season in the Southern Hemisphere.
If you thought that the spring equinox only ever occurred on March 21, you may be dating yourself. The civil calendar date of the equinox continues to shift every year. Find out why.Read Next
- When is the First Day of Fall? Autumnal Equinox 2026
- When Do the Seasons Start and End in 2026?
- The First Day of Winter: Winter Solstice 2026
| Year | Spring Equinox (Northern Hemisphere) | Spring Equinox (Southern Hemisphere) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday, March 20, at 10:46 A.M. EDT | Tuesday, September 22 |
| 2027 | Saturday, March 20, at 4:23 P.M. EDT | Thursday, September 23 |
| 2028 | Sunday, March 19, at 10:17 P.M. EDT | Friday, September 22 |
| 2029 | Tuesday, March 20, at 4:02 A.M. EDT | Saturday, September 22 |
What Is the Spring Equinox?
In the Northern Hemisphere, the spring equinox (also called the March equinox or vernal equinox across the globe) occurs when the Sun crosses the celestial equator going south to north. It’s called the celestial equator because it’s an imaginary line in the sky above Earth’s equator. Imagine standing on the equator; the Sun would pass directly overhead on its way north.
On the March equinox, the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere receive roughly equal amounts of sunlight; neither hemisphere is tilted more toward or away from the Sun than the other.
Although in most locations (the North Pole and the equator being exceptions), the amount of daylight had been increasing each day after the winter solstice, and after the spring equinox, many places will experience more daylight than darkness in each 24-hour day. The amount of daylight each day will continue to increase until the summer solstice (in June), when the longest period of daylight occurs.
Here’s an interesting fact: Equinoxes are the only two times of year when the Sun rises due east and sets due west for all of us on Earth! While the Sun passes overhead, the tilt of Earth is zero relative to the Sun, which means that Earth’s axis neither points toward nor away from the Sun. (Note, however, that Earth never orbits upright but is always tilted on its axis by about 23.5 degrees.)
