Equinox and solstice dates for the next 5 years
In the Northern Hemisphere, spring starts at the March equinox, summer at the June solstice, fall at the September equinox and winter at the December solstice. Each is a single moment, the same instant everywhere, so the local date depends on your time zone.
| Year | March equinox | June solstice | September equinox | December solstice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Mar 20, 10:46 AM | Jun 21, 4:25 AM | Sep 22, 8:06 PM | Dec 21, 3:50 PM |
| 2027 | Mar 20, 4:25 PM | Jun 21, 10:11 AM | Sep 23, 2:01 AM | Dec 21, 9:42 PM |
| 2028 | Mar 19, 10:17 PM | Jun 20, 4:02 PM | Sep 22, 7:45 AM | Dec 21, 3:20 AM |
| 2029 | Mar 20, 4:02 AM | Jun 20, 9:48 PM | Sep 22, 1:38 PM | Dec 21, 9:14 AM |
| 2030 | Mar 20, 9:52 AM | Jun 21, 3:31 AM | Sep 22, 7:27 PM | Dec 21, 3:10 PM |
Astronomical and meteorological seasons
The countdowns above use astronomical seasons, which follow Earth’s orbit. At an equinox the Sun is directly over the equator, and day and night are close to equal everywhere. At a solstice it’s farthest north or south, giving the longest and shortest days.
Meteorological seasons are simpler: whole months, grouped by temperature. Spring is March, April and May; summer is June to August; fall is September to November; winter is December to February. Weather services use them because they make records easy to compare, which is why you’ll hear that spring starts on March 1.
Because Earth’s orbit is slightly oval, the astronomical seasons aren’t equal. In 2026, northern spring lasts 92 days 18 hours, summer 93 days 16 hours, fall 89 days 21 hours and winter just 88 days 24 hours: Earth moves fastest in early January, when it’s closest to the Sun.
Why the first day moves
A year is about 365¼ days long, so each equinox comes roughly six hours later than the year before, then jumps back by about a day after a leap day. That’s why spring can start on March 19, 20 or 21 depending on the year and your time zone. The next time spring begins on March 19 in U.S. Eastern time is 2028, at 10:17 PM that evening.
In the Southern Hemisphere
South of the equator the seasons are reversed: the September equinox starts spring and the December solstice starts summer. Australia and New Zealand use meteorological seasons for everyday purposes, so spring there begins on September 1 and summer on December 1. Choose Southern above to switch the countdowns.