When does spring begin? Date and Time
When spring begins – what is the equinox?
The first flowers of the season sprout in many places by the beginning of spring in March at the latest.
© Source: Patrick Pleul/dpa-Zentralbild/ZB
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With the beginning of spring, nature awakens. The plants are starting to bud, the first warm rays of sunshine are appearing and driving away the winter blues that many people suffer from.
During this time of year, in spring, the body releases more happiness hormones. Therefore, spring is eagerly awaited by many, and spring festivals are held in numerous cultures. But when exactly does spring begin in Germany?
When is early spring 2023?
In Germany and throughout the northern hemisphere, the Spring 2023 at the Monday the March, 20th. If you want to know exactly: at 10:24 p.m. Central European Time.
When is the meteorological beginning of spring?
The meteorological beginning of spring, on the other hand, is firmly defined. From a meteorological point of view, spring always begins on 1st March.
Beginning of spring: calendar or meteorological? Where’s the difference?
The calendrical beginning of spring is also called the astronomical beginning of spring. Because the calendar seasons are determined by the position of the earth in relation to the sun and correspond, so to speak, to the “natural” seasons.
In meteorology, the seasons always begin on the first day of the corresponding month. They divide the year into four fixed seasons of three months each. Meteorologists use this artificial classification to create four constant seasons and to work with comparable time periods.
Equinox: Why is the beginning of spring different every year?
The beginning of spring is based on the equinox and therefore falls on a different date each year. The day when it is light and dark for the same length of time comes twice a year: in March it heralds spring and in September it serves as the starting signal for the colder seasons.
When the calendar spring begins also depends on which part of the world you are in. Because: At the equinox, the zenith of the sun crosses the line of the equator. The sun moves to the other hemisphere of the earth. The spring months of March, April and May are only considered as such in the northern hemisphere.
In September, the sun moves to the southern hemisphere and heralds spring there, while temperatures drop here. In six months, the zenith will cross the equator again and return to the northern hemisphere, causing the days to get longer again.
When does spring end?
Every child knows that spring is followed by summer – but when exactly? Again, there are logically two different dates. When the sun is at its highest point for the northern hemisphere, it is the longest day of the year. Summer is here. 2023 is the beginning of summer on the calendar in the Northern Hemisphere on Wednesday 21 June at 16:57 Central European Time.
However, meteorology continues to follow its own system when dating the beginning of summer. The end of spring and the beginning of summer fall on the first day of the month in which the summer solstice falls.
Here again all the data at a glance:
- Meteorological beginning of spring: Wednesday, March 1, 2023
- Calendar beginning of spring: Monday March 20, 2023
- Meteorological beginning of summer: Thursday 1 June 2023
- Calendar beginning of summer: Wednesday 21 June 2023
