The four seasons of the year in the United States (spring, summer, autumn and winter) are what determine the climate, daylight hours and ecology throughout the year.
The current season in the United States right now is fall.
In 2022, these are the astronomical dates and times for the start of each season:
- Spring: begins on March 20, at 3:33 p.m. and ends June 21
- summer: starts on June 21 at 10:14 and ends on September 23
- Fall: starts on September 23 at 2:04 AM. m. and ends on December 21
- winter: begins on December 21 at 9:48 p.m. and ends on March 20, 2023
- spring months: March, April, May
- summer months: June, July, August
- Autumn months: September, October, November
- winter months: December, January, February
- Spring: March 1 to May 30
- summer months: from June 1 to August 31
- autumn months: from September 1st to November 30th
- winter months: December 1 to February 28 or 29
- first day of spring
- early summer
- early fall
Times are in the Eastern Standard Time (ET) time zone and will vary in different states.
Although they do not include the totality of each month, these are the meteorological stations:
Because the United States is located in the northern hemisphere of the planet, the general rule is that the spring through summer months have the highest temperatures, while the weather gets colder during the fall and winter.
However, this is a large country with a few different regions, which means that there are three climate zones in America. states like california, florida, arizona, and texas tend to be warm year-round. On the other hand, places like New York, New England, Washington, and the Midwest have more marked seasonal changes throughout the year.
spring
Spring begins on March 20 or 21 and lasts until June 20 or 21.
The first day of spring occurs on the vernal equinox, which marks the astronomical beginning of spring. Meteorologically, spring begins on March 1.
This season comes after winter and before summer, it is characterized by rising temperatures and increasingly longer days. it is during the spring that the plants begin to bloom for the summer.
Learn more about the vernal equinox (early spring).
summer
summer lasts from June 20 or 21 to September 22 or 23, which places it between spring and autumn.
This is the warmest of the months, where temperatures soar and when there are more daylight hours, as the days are longer than the nights. In the United States, some regions have a hot and humid climate, while in other areas the days are very hot and arid.
The first day of summer is marked by the summer solstice, which corresponds to the astronomical beginning of summer.
fall
fall starts on September 22 or 23 and ends on December 21 or 22.
During this season, temperatures start to drop and nights get longer again. Also known as autumn, fall in the United States gets its name from the leaves on the trees that begin to change color and fall.
In some states, the landscape changes completely during the fall, with vegetation replaced by bright reds and oranges.
learn more about the autumnal equinox (early fall).
winter
Winter begins on December 21 or 22 and lasts until March 20 or 21, falling right between fall and spring.
In winter, the weather gets colder, with temperatures as low as 3°F in some regions, and the nights get longer than the days. many of the northern states receive snow throughout the season.
The official start of winter falls on the winter solstice.
explanation of the seasons of the year
there is an idea that summer is hotter than the other seasons because it happens when the earth is closest to the sun, and when the earth is farthest from the sun, that is when winter occurs. this is fake!
what controls the seasons is the axis of the earth, an imaginary pole that crosses the planet from top to bottom, on which the earth rotates, making a complete turn every day.
This axis is tilted, and when the earth orbits the sun throughout the year, different parts of the planet receive direct sunlight from the sun. this means that when the north pole is tilted towards the sun, it is summer in the northern hemisphere, and when it is tilted away from the sun, it does not receive as much light and heat, causing winter and fall.
first astronomical vs. meteorological days of the seasons
Because most people observe the astronomical beginning of the seasons, not many know that there is also a meteorological beginning of the seasons.
the difference is simple, the astronomical stations go by the position of the earth in relation to the sun, while the meteorological stations follow the temperature cycle.
As an example, in 2021, the astronomical start of summer is June 20, but its meteorological start is June 1. These are the weather stations of the year:
Other seasonal items that may interest you:
