First day of meteorological spring

Did you know that spring has two different start dates? Meteorological spring starts today, while astronomical spring starts on March 20th this year.

Why are there two start dates for spring? For meteorologists in the Northern Hemisphere, spring starts on the first day of March, and there's a logical reason for that. A March 1st start date for spring makes it easier to process data by using four equal quarters for each of the four seasons. Meteorological spring is made up of March, April, and May.

Astronomically, spring starts on the spring equinox, when the length of day and night are the same in all parts of the world. The exact date varies slightly each year since it's determined by the Earth's axis and orbit around the sun. This year the spring equinox falls on March 20.

As the days grow longer and the weather gets warmer, severe weather becomes more likely. Keep an eye on the WeatherRadar as we head into spring and severe weather season.