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When Do The Four Seasons Start And End Now

June 21 – September 22

Understanding why these two systems coexist helps clear up confusion when looking at calendars or weather forecasts. Astronomical Seasons Meteorological Seasons Earth's physical position relative to the sun Annual temperature cycles and calendar months Start/End Dates Variable (shifts slightly due to leap years) Fixed (always starts on the 1st of a month) Length Varies between 89 and 93 days Always exactly three full calendar months Primary Use Astronomy, navigation, traditional calendars Climate science, weather forecasting, agriculture Other Seasonal Systems Around the Globe

Typical dates (Northern Hemisphere)

The four seasons are defined by two primary systems—the , which tracks the Earth's orbit and tilt relative to the sun, and the meteorological calendar , which groups months by annual temperature cycles.

Meteorologists divide the seasons into three-month blocks based on the calendar, which tend to align better with the actual weather changes in the Northern Hemisphere. March 1 – May 31 Summer: June 1 – August 31 Autumn (Fall): September 1 – November 30 when do the four seasons start and end

Understanding when the four seasons start and end can help us appreciate the beauty and rhythms of nature. Whether you're in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, we hope this guide has been helpful in planning your activities and staying connected to the world around you.

You might notice that the astronomical start dates move slightly from year to year (e.g., Spring starting on March 20th one year and the 21st the next). This happens because a solar year is actually long, not exactly 365. Our Gregorian calendar accounts for this with Leap Years, which resets the alignment and causes those minor shifts in the equinox and solstice dates. 4. The Hemisphere Flip

East Asian cultures often define the start of a season by the solar term known as "Lì chūn" (Start of Spring), which falls around February 4th—nearly six weeks before the vernal equinox. This aligns better with the warming trends of the East Asian monsoon region.

September 22 or 23. Day and night are equal again. June 21 – September 22 Understanding why these

Autumn, also known as fall, is the season of harvest and change. In the Northern Hemisphere:

| Season | Astronomical Start (approx.) | Astronomical End (approx.) | Meteorological Start | Meteorological End | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | March 20 | June 20 | March 1 | May 31 | | Summer | June 20 | September 22 | June 1 | August 31 | | Autumn | September 22 | December 21 | September 1 | November 30 | | Winter | December 21 | March 20 | December 1 | February 28/29 |

The word "equinox" comes from Latin, meaning "equal night." On the spring equinox, the sun is positioned directly over the Earth's equator, resulting in nearly equal amounts of daylight and darkness (about 12 hours each) across the globe. After this point, the Northern Hemisphere begins to tilt toward the sun, leading to longer, warmer days. Spring ends on the summer solstice.

India uses a unique six-season calendar for cultural purposes ( Ritu ), but for official weather, they recognize a distinct pattern: Winter (Jan-Feb), Summer (Mar-May), Monsoon (Jun-Sep), and Post-Monsoon (Oct-Dec). March 1 – May 31 Summer: June 1

These are based on the Earth’s position relative to the sun. They are defined by solstices (the longest and shortest days) and equinoxes (when day and night are roughly equal).

Many cultures define seasons based on local ecological events (phenology) rather than fixed dates or solstices. For example:

Starts around March 20 or 21 . On this day, the sun passes directly over the equator, making day and night nearly equal in length.

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