The four turning points of the year, with exact times in UTC. Each one is the astronomical first day of a season in the Northern Hemisphere (and the opposite season in the Southern Hemisphere).
| Year | March equinox spring starts | June solstice summer starts | September equinox fall starts | December solstice winter starts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Fri, March 20 14:46 UTC | Sun, June 21 08:25 UTC | Wed, September 23 00:06 UTC | Mon, December 21 20:50 UTC |
| 2027 | Sat, March 20 20:25 UTC | Mon, June 21 14:11 UTC | Thu, September 23 06:01 UTC | Wed, December 22 02:42 UTC |
| 2028 | Mon, March 20 02:17 UTC | Tue, June 20 20:02 UTC | Fri, September 22 11:45 UTC | Thu, December 21 08:20 UTC |
| 2029 | Tue, March 20 08:02 UTC | Thu, June 21 01:48 UTC | Sat, September 22 17:38 UTC | Fri, December 21 14:14 UTC |
| 2030 | Wed, March 20 13:52 UTC | Fri, June 21 07:31 UTC | Sun, September 22 23:27 UTC | Sat, December 21 20:10 UTC |
| 2031 | Thu, March 20 19:41 UTC | Sat, June 21 13:17 UTC | Tue, September 23 05:15 UTC | Mon, December 22 01:56 UTC |
| 2032 | Sat, March 20 01:22 UTC | Sun, June 20 19:09 UTC | Wed, September 22 11:11 UTC | Tue, December 21 07:56 UTC |
Times are UTC. In your time zone the date can be a day earlier or later.
Weather services use whole months instead: spring is March to May, summer June to August, fall September to November and winter December to February (Northern Hemisphere).
March equinox March 20 (14:46 UTC); June solstice June 21 (08:25 UTC); September equinox September 23 (00:06 UTC); December solstice December 21 (20:50 UTC).
At a solstice (June and December) the Sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon, giving the longest or shortest day. At an equinox (March and September) day and night are close to equal length.
The calendar year is 365 days but Earth's orbit takes about 365.24 days, so the events drift about six hours later each year and reset after a leap year.
The astronomical moment is the same worldwide, but your local date depends on your time zone, and the Northern and Southern Hemispheres get opposite seasons.
Meteorological seasons start on the first day of the month: spring on March 1, summer on June 1, fall on September 1 and winter on December 1 (Northern Hemisphere).
See also: Solstice and equinox dates 2026-2032 · First day of winter · First day of spring · First day of summer · First day of fall · Winter solstice · All holiday dates
Moon phase today · Full moon dates · When do the clocks change? · What day is Christmas? · All tools