The first day of spring has arrived, but what does that mean for the weather?

Is it the first day of spring?

For everyone over winter and ready for a, hopefully, warmer season ahead, you're in luck. Today marks the first day of spring 2025.

The vernal equinox marks the start of spring every March. The autumnal equinox marks the start of fall every September.

What is an equinox?

An equinox occurs, "two times of the year when the Earth's axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, resulting in a "nearly" equal amount of daylight and darkness at all latitudes," according to the National Weather Service.

Following the vernal equinox, the Northern Hemisphere on earth will begin tilting more toward the sun ushering in the spring and, eventually, summer. The earth will continue tilting more and more towards the sun until it's at its peak angle for the summer solstice, ushering in more hours of sun and warmer weather.

During the equinox, the sun will be directly over the equator.

The Southern Hemisphere is now facing the shorter days and cooler temperatures that we face in the fall.

The word equinox comes from two Latin words meaning equal and night. That’s because on the equinox, day and night last almost the same amount of time — though one may get a few extra minutes, depending on where you are on the planet.

The Northern Hemisphere’s spring — or vernal — equinox can land between March 19 and 21, depending on the year. Its fall – or autumnal — equinox can land between Sept. 21 and 24.

Is today the first day of spring 2025?

Spring arrived at 5:01 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, but without much fanfare—gray, cool, drizzle and fog -- in the northeast.

When is the autumnal equinox 2025?

The autumnal equinox, officially welcoming in fall 2025, will take place on Sept. 22 at 2:19 p.m. Eastern time.

What is the solstice?

The solstices mark the times during the year when the Earth is at its most extreme tilt toward or away from the sun. This means the hemispheres are getting very different amounts of sunlight — and days and nights are at their most unequal.

During the Northern Hemisphere’s summer solstice, the upper half of the earth is tilted in toward the sun, creating the longest day and shortest night of the year. This solstice falls between June 20 and 22.

Meanwhile, at the winter solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is leaning away from the sun — leading to the shortest day and longest night of the year. The winter solstice falls between December 20 and 23.

What's the difference between meteorological and astronomical seasons?

These are just two different ways to carve up the year.

While astronomical seasons depend on how the Earth moves around the sun, meteorological seasons are defined by the weather. They break down the year into three-month seasons based on annual temperature cycles. By that calendar, spring starts on March 1, summer on June 1, fall on Sept. 1 and winter on Dec. 1.