In 2026 in the Northern Hemisphere, the first day of spring is Friday, March 20, 2026 (the spring or vernal equinox).

Quick scoop: what that actually means

  • Astronomically, spring starts at the spring equinox , when the Sun crosses the celestial equator heading north.
  • In 2026, that moment is at 10:46 a.m. EDT , which is 14:46 UTC.
  • From that day on, in the Northern Hemisphere, days get longer and warmer until the summer solstice in June.

Why the exact date can change

  • Many people were taught “spring starts March 21,” but modern astronomical calculations put it on March 20 in most recent years.
  • The shift happens because of the Earth’s tilt, its slightly imperfect orbit, and how our calendar approximates the solar year.

In everyday life, meteorologists sometimes call March 1 the start of “meteorological spring,” but the official astronomical first day of spring in 2026 is March 20.

TL;DR: If you’re marking your calendar for “when spring really starts” in 2026, circle March 20.

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