Spring Equinox Is Thursday: Everything You Need to Know

Despite the recent resurgence of winter weather, I can feel how close spring is. Here in New Mexico, the roadrunners are frolicking, trees are budding and I’m sowing lettuce seeds in my raised garden beds. So mark your calendar for March 20: The vernal equinox signals the astronomical start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

While equinoxes might not get the same attention as solstices, they’re a lovely way to observe the seasons shifting. Let’s get to know the vernal equinox, what it is and why it happens.

What is the spring equinox?

You’ve no doubt noticed the lengthening of daylight as winter winds down (especially since daylight saving has already begun). Vernal equinox marks the tipping point into longer days.

The word “equinox” comes from the Latin words for equal and night. Daylight and night are roughly equal during the equinox. We experience two each year — the vernal equinox in the spring and the autumnal equinox in the fall. The word “vernal” traces to Latin and references spring.

Graphic with Earth in part shadow as it orbits the sun.