On the equinox, the length of day and night is nearly equal in all parts of the world. The word equinox comes from the Latin words for “equal night”- aequus (equal) and nox (night). What Does Spring “Equinox” Mean, Exactly? *Due to time zone differences, this equinox will technically occur on the next day in some parts of the world. In the Southern Hemisphere, the March equinox marks the start of autumn, while the September equinox marks the start of spring. EDT. This marks the return of spring to the Northern Hemisphere. In 2022, the March equinox happens on Sunday, March 20, at 11:33 A.M. → What sort of weather will spring bring? Check out our Spring Forecast and new April Forecast to find out! When Is the First Day of Spring? After this date, the Northern Hemisphere begins to be tilted more toward the Sun, resulting in increasing daylight hours and warming temperatures. (In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the opposite: the March equinox marks the start of autumn, as the Southern Hemisphere begins to be tilted away from the Sun.)

This event marks the start of the spring season in the northern half of the globe. In the Northern Hemisphere, the March equinox (aka spring equinox or vernal equinox) occurs when the Sun crosses the equator line, heading north.

Advertisement What Is the Spring Equinox?

First day of spring