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The days are getting longer, temperatures are rising, and flora and fauna are returning to life – spring is just around the corner.
In the northern hemisphere, including Austria and the rest of Europe, the calendar spring began on Tuesday, 20 March 2025, at 10:01 a.m. Central European Time (CET).
Equinox usually different
Calendrical spring always begins at the equinox, i.e. when the sun is exactly over the equator.
In March, the so-called “subsolar point” – the place above which the sun is at its zenith – moves from south to north, which means longer days and rising temperatures in the northern hemisphere and, therefore, the start of spring in Europe.
However, the date of the equinox is not always the same. It shifts from year to year, as the Earth’s orbit around the sun takes a few hours longer than 365 days. The calendar start of spring can, therefore, fall on March 19, 20 or 21.
This year, spring lasts until 21 June at 04:42 a.m., when the sun is perpendicular to the Tropic of Cancer, known as the summer solstice.
Meteorological beginning of spring 2025
The calendar start should not be confused with the meteorological start of spring on 1 March every year.
This is because, in meteorological terms, the year is divided into four seasons of three months each, giving spring a fixed start date. Fixed periods of time are needed to make weather data comparable.
In addition to all the joy at the start of the blooming season, spring is often a challenge for allergy sufferers – keyword pollen. Climate change also influences the flowering time of plants, with longer exposure times for allergy sufferers. At the moment, hazel and alder are on the wane, but birch blossom is already just around the corner.
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