Spring officially arrives this Sunday! It’s the start of astronomical spring, which happens Sunday at 11:33 AM EDT.

It’s the vernal equinox, which comes from the Latin aequus, meaning equal and nox means night. The sun is directly over the equator on the equinoxes, and this means that both hemispheres are receiving the sun’s rays equally. The fastest sunsets and sunrises of the year also happen on the equinoxes. All around the Earth except at the poles, the sun will rise due east and set due west on Sunday. Currently we have just about 12 hours of daylight. 

MORE: News 12 Storm Watch Team Blog

MORE: News 12 Weather Center

The Earth’s axial tilt is responsible for our seasons. The change in daylight over the different latitudes throughout the year gives us the different seasons. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, the amount of daylight will continue to increase through the summer solstice in June. More daylight means warmer temperatures. Warmer weather brings the pollen, so expect an increase in that too.

By the time we get to the summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year, there will be just over 15 hours of daylight.