The saying goes that April showers bring May flowers, hinting at the arrival of spring. As we approach the first day of spring on Thursday, it marks the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, an astronomical event when the sun lines up with the Earth’s equator. Conversely, in the Southern Hemisphere, this equinox is known as the autumnal equinox, signaling the onset of fall with cooler weather and shorter days.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the spring equinox falls on Thursday, March 20 this year at 5:01 a.m. EDT. During this time, there is an almost equal amount of daylight and darkness across all latitudes. This balance during the equinoxes occurs twice a year when the Earth’s equator is neither tilted towards nor away from the sun. The start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere is called the vernal equinox, while the fall equinox is known as the autumnal equinox.
Spring in the Northern Hemisphere sees longer days as the region continues its tilt towards the sun, culminating in the summer solstice. In 2025, the summer solstice will take place on Friday, June 20 at 10:41 p.m. EST, marking the longest daylight hours and the beginning of summer. Daylight saving time commenced on Sunday, March 9 for many Americans.
Greta Cross, a trending reporter at USA TODAY, provided this update. For more stories, you can follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross or share story ideas by emailing gcross@usatoday.com.
