How Many Days Until Spring?

This countdown tracks the Northern Hemisphere vernal equinox. In the Southern Hemisphere, this exact same astronomical moment marks the start of Autumn, not Spring.

The vernal equinox is the moment the sun crosses directly over the equator heading north, one of only two days a year, along with the autumnal equinox, when day and night are close to equal length nearly everywhere on Earth. From here, the Northern Hemisphere tilts increasingly toward the sun, with days continuing to lengthen until the Summer Solstice in June.

A calendar year runs 365 days, but Earth's actual orbit takes about 365.24 days. That extra quarter day means the equinox lands roughly six hours later each year until a leap year adds a day back and resets it earlier. That's why Spring typically starts between March 19 and 21 rather than a perfectly fixed date.

This page uses the astronomical definition, tied to the equinox. Meteorological Spring is fixed as March 1 through May 31 every year, based on the twelve month calendar rather than Earth's orbital position, used mainly for consistent climate and weather record keeping.