Pick a year and your time zone to see the exact moment of the March and September equinoxes and the June and December solstices, when each season starts in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, and how astronomical seasons compare with meteorological ones.
Last updated:
Hemisphere
Astronomical vs. meteorological seasons
Astronomical seasons run between equinoxes and solstices, so their lengths vary. Meteorological seasons are whole calendar months used by weather services for statistics.
Equinoxes and solstices, 10 years
Advertisement
Advertisement
How to use the Season Dates Calculator
Enter a year or step through years with the arrows.
Choose your time zone. Your device’s zone is selected automatically.
Pick a hemisphere to label the seasons correctly for where you live.
Read the four event cards for the date, local time and UTC time.
Compare the seasons in the table below, or download ten years of dates as CSV.
Equinox and solstice dates 2025–2034 (UTC)
Times are in Coordinated Universal Time and rounded to the minute. In the Americas the same moment can fall on the previous calendar day, so use the calculator above for your own time zone.
Year
March equinox
June solstice
September equinox
December solstice
2025
Mar 20, 09:02
Jun 21, 02:42
Sep 22, 18:19
Dec 21, 15:03
2026
Mar 20, 14:46
Jun 21, 08:25
Sep 23, 00:05
Dec 21, 20:50
2027
Mar 20, 20:25
Jun 21, 14:11
Sep 23, 06:01
Dec 22, 02:42
2028
Mar 20, 02:17
Jun 20, 20:01
Sep 22, 11:45
Dec 21, 08:20
2029
Mar 20, 08:02
Jun 21, 01:48
Sep 22, 17:38
Dec 21, 14:14
2030
Mar 20, 13:52
Jun 21, 07:31
Sep 22, 23:27
Dec 21, 20:09
2031
Mar 20, 19:41
Jun 21, 13:17
Sep 23, 05:15
Dec 22, 01:56
2032
Mar 20, 01:22
Jun 20, 19:09
Sep 22, 11:11
Dec 21, 07:56
2033
Mar 20, 07:23
Jun 21, 01:01
Sep 22, 16:52
Dec 21, 13:46
2034
Mar 20, 13:17
Jun 21, 06:44
Sep 22, 22:40
Dec 21, 19:34
Astronomical vs. meteorological seasons
Northern Hemisphere
Astronomical (starts at)
Meteorological
Southern Hemisphere
Spring
March equinox (Mar 19–21)
Mar 1 – May 31
Autumn
Summer
June solstice (Jun 20–21)
Jun 1 – Aug 31
Winter
Autumn (fall)
September equinox (Sep 22–23)
Sep 1 – Nov 30
Spring
Winter
December solstice (Dec 21–22)
Dec 1 – Feb 28/29
Summer
Astronomical seasons follow Earth’s orbit. An equinox is the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator, when day and night are close to equal everywhere; a solstice is the moment the Sun reaches its farthest point north or south, giving the longest and shortest days. Because Earth moves faster near perihelion in early January, northern winter is the shortest astronomical season (about 89 days) and northern summer the longest (about 93.6 days).
Meteorological seasons are groups of three whole months chosen by weather services so that monthly temperature statistics line up neatly. They begin about three weeks before the astronomical seasons and match the annual temperature cycle a little better.
How the times are calculated
The calculator uses the method in Jean Meeus’s Astronomical Algorithms (chapter 27): a polynomial gives the mean date of each equinox and solstice, then 24 periodic terms correct for the pull of the Moon and planets. The result is in Terrestrial Time, so the difference between atomic time and Earth’s rotation (ΔT, about 69 seconds today) is subtracted to get Universal Time, which is then shown in the time zone you pick, including daylight saving time. Results agree with published almanac times to about a minute for the years around today.
Frequently asked questions
When is the first day of spring?
Astronomically, spring in the Northern Hemisphere begins at the March equinox, which falls on March 19, 20 or 21 depending on the year and time zone. In 2026 it is on March 20 at 14:46 UTC. Meteorologists count spring from March 1.
Why does the equinox date change from year to year?
A year is about 365.24 days long, so each equinox and solstice arrives roughly 6 hours later than the year before. Leap years pull the calendar back by a day every four years, which keeps the dates within a narrow window, and the century rules of the Gregorian calendar correct the drift over the long run.
What is the difference between astronomical and meteorological seasons?
Astronomical seasons start at the equinoxes and solstices, so their dates shift slightly and their lengths range from about 89 to 94 days. Meteorological seasons use whole months (for example summer is June, July and August in the north) so that climate statistics are easy to compare.
Are day and night equal on the equinox?
Almost, but not exactly. Because sunrise and sunset are measured from the top edge of the Sun and the atmosphere bends light, most places get slightly more than 12 hours of daylight on the equinox. The date of truly equal day and night (the equilux) is a few days before the March equinox and after the September equinox.
Are the seasons reversed in the Southern Hemisphere?
Yes. The June solstice starts winter in Australia, South America and southern Africa, and the December solstice starts summer. The moments are the same worldwide; only the season names change, which you can switch with the hemisphere option.
How accurate are these times?
For years near the present the times match published almanac values to about one minute. For years far in the past or future the uncertain slowdown of Earth’s rotation (ΔT) means the times may be off by several minutes or more.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.