"Spring Equinox 2023: Traditions, Weather, and Fun Facts"

The vernal equinox, which marks the end of winter and the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, occurs on March 20 at 5:24 p.m. Eastern time. Equinoxes happen twice a year, in March and September, and mark the precise moment in time when the sun appears directly over the Earth’s equator. During the March equinox, the sun’s direct rays cross Earth’s equator into the Northern Hemisphere. Both hemispheres receive equal amounts of the sun’s energy, resulting in nearly equal day and night everywhere on Earth. The days have been steadily getting longer since mid-December, but we experience the fastest increase in daylight around the spring equinox. Temperatures will inevitably march upward as we head toward summer, with above-average temperatures forecasted across the eastern and south-central United States.