March Equinox

The March equinox occurs on March 20th. This event marks the astronomical first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

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

What does “equinox” mean?
The word equinox comes from the Latin words for “equal night”—aequus (equal) and nox (night).  On the equinox, the length of day and night is nearly equal in all parts of the world. 

With the equinox, enjoy an increasing amount of sunlight hours, with earlier dawns and later sunsets! 

Does Spring begin on March 1 or on the Equinox?
Both, actually. 
Astronomically speaking, the first day of spring is marked by the spring equinox, which falls on March 19, 20, or 21 every year. The equinox happens at the same moment worldwide, although our clock times reflect a different time zone. And, as mentioned above, this date only signals spring’s beginning in the Northern Hemisphere; it announces fall’s arrival in the Southern Hemisphere. 
Meteorologically speaking, the official first day of spring is March 1 (and the last is May 31). Weather scientists divide the year into quarters to make it easier to compare seasonal and monthly statistics from one year to the next. The meteorological seasons are based on annual temperature cycles rather than on the position of Earth in relation to the Sun.