Equinox 2024 Vernal. Astronomically speaking, the first day of spring is marked by the spring equinox, which falls on march 19, 20, or 21. The vernal equinox happens on march 19, 2024, at 23h06 edt (03h06 gmt, march 20) , marking the astronomical beginning of the spring season in the northern hemisphere.

However, during the next leap year, the record for earliest vernal equinox will take a substantial leap forward. After the vernal equinox, the length of night continues to shorten and daylight hours increase until the summer solstice arrives.