When Is the First Day of Spring?

In 2023, the March equinox happens on March 20, at 5:24 P.M. EDT. This falls on a Monday and is the astronomical beginning of the spring season in the Northern Hemisphere and the autumn season in the Southern Hemisphere.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere (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 the Earth’s equator. Imagine standing on the equator; the Sun would pass directly overhead on its way north. 

Here’s an interesting fact: Equinoxes are the only two times each year that the Sun rises due east and sets due west for all of us on Earth!

Bud break

Spring is also the time when tree buds begin to break, on average, the first leaves will start to emerge from their buds between March and April each year. However, we know this can differ and with both weather and climate being variable, predicting when we see the first bud burst can be fun to anticipate.

With the brilliance of buds bursting and the blossoming of trees, this time of year brings with it bundles of spring life for the whole family to enjoy outdoors. Leaves and flowers unfurling can be seen every day in mixed woodland or as a stunning mass display in plantations and avenues of the same tree species.