Spring countdown and date guide
Astronomical spring begins in the Northern Hemisphere at the March equinox, when day and night are nearly equal, occurring at a precise instant each year.
Whether you search “how many days until Spring” or “how many days till Spring”, both point to the same next date shown above.
What is Spring?
The first day of spring is set by the March (vernal) equinox, when the Sun crosses the celestial equator moving northward and day and night are approximately equal in length. Local daylight is not exactly twelve hours because of atmospheric refraction and how sunrise and sunset are defined.
The equinox happens at a single global instant, so the calendar day can be March 19, 20 or 21 depending on your time zone. This page uses the precise UTC instant (from USNO data) and the live countdown converts it to your local time. Meteorological spring, used by some forecasters, instead starts on March 1.
Why use a Spring countdown?
A countdown supports garden planning, seasonal events, science lessons and tracking lengthening daylight after winter.
How people observe it
- Spring festivals and seasonal events
- Gardening and planting preparation
- Astronomy education and observation
Planning checklist
- Confirm the local time by converting from UTC
- Plan planting around your local frost dates
- Choose activities for the correct hemisphere
How the date is determined
The first day of astronomical spring is the March equinox, a precise instant that changes each year. This page uses verified UTC times converted to your local time zone.
Frequently asked questions
When does spring start?
Astronomical spring starts at the March equinox, which falls on March 19, 20 or 21 depending on your time zone. Meteorological spring, used by some forecasters, begins on March 1.
Is the first day of spring always March 21?
No. The equinox is a single global instant and in recent decades it most often falls on March 20, occasionally March 19 or 21 depending on your time zone.
Are day and night exactly equal?
They are close, but usually not exactly equal because of atmospheric refraction and how sunrise and sunset are defined.
How is the exact start time determined?
This page uses the precise March equinox instant published by the US Naval Observatory (USNO) and converts it to your browser’s local time zone.
Is it spring everywhere on this date?
No. The March equinox begins spring in the Northern Hemisphere but autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.