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when is the 1st day of spring

The 1st day of spring in 2026 is Friday, March 20, marked by the spring (vernal) equinox in the Northern Hemisphere.

Quick Scoop: When Is the 1st Day of Spring?

  • In 2026, spring starts on March 20 in the Northern Hemisphere.
  • The equinox happens at about 10:46 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), which is 14:46 UTC.
  • Many calendars now treat March 20 as the official first day of spring across North America.

Why That Date?

  • Astronomically, spring starts at the spring equinox, when Earth’s tilt makes day and night roughly equal in length.
  • From that point on, days get longer and nights shorter until the summer solstice in June.

Fun Extra: Not Everywhere the Same

  • In the Southern Hemisphere, that same March equinox actually marks the beginning of autumn, not spring.
  • Their “first day of spring” comes around the September equinox instead.

TL;DR: The 1st day of spring (astronomical) in 2026 is March 20 in the Northern Hemisphere, at the moment of the spring equinox.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.