when is the first day of spring 2026

The first day of spring in 2026 (astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere) is Friday, March 20, 2026, at 10:46 a.m. EDT.

Quick Scoop: Spring 2026

• Date: Friday, March 20, 2026.

• Time (astronomical start): 10:46 a.m. EDT, which is 14:46 UTC.

• Season span: Spring runs from March 20, 2026, until around June 21, 2026, when summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere.

Why that exact date and time?

The “first day of spring” here refers to the spring equinox , also called the vernal or March equinox. That’s the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator heading north, giving nearly equal day and night and marking the official start of astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

A quick example

If you’re on U.S. East Coast time, spring 2026 “arrives” the moment the clock hits 10:46 a.m. on March 20; if you converted that to UTC, it’s 14:46 on the same day. No matter where you are in the Northern Hemisphere, that same instant marks the change of season, even if your local clock shows a different hour.

TL;DR: The first day of spring 2026 is March 20, 2026, with the equinox at 10:46 a.m. EDT in the Northern Hemisphere.