An aspen tree is starting to bud  Tuesday in White Rock. The fuzzy things are more technically known as catkins. Photo by Nancy Ann Hibbs

By NANCY ANN HIBBS
Los Alamos

The first day of spring will occur at 11:50 p.m. Thursday, March 19, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, which is marked by the arrival of the Vernal (Spring) Equinox.

If this seems early to you, you’re right! In fact, this is the earliest the Vernal (Spring) Equinox has occurred in 124 years.

Traditionally, we celebrate the first day of spring March 21, but astronomers and calendar manufacturers alike now say that the spring season starts March 20, in all time zones in North America. And in 2020, it’s even a day earlier than that—something that hasn’t happened since 1896.

Regardless of what the weather is doing outside, the equinox marks the official start of the spring season.