The first day of spring in 2024 is a day earlier than typical years. Here’s why. [Video]

Spring is starting a little earlier than usual this year. 

Tuesday, March 19 at 11:06 p.m. EDT will mark the vernal equinox for the Northern Hemisphere, when the sun is directly over the equator and its energy is in balance between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, according to the National Weather Service.

Most years, the season typically changes on March 20th or 21st. So, why is it spring starting a few hours earlier in 2024?

First day of spring 2024

The reason the first day of spring is March 19 is because 2024 is a leap year. Leap years are caused by Earth’s rotation. A year is 365 days, but technically it takes the Earth slightly longer to orbit around the sun.

The Earth takes 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds — or 365.2422 days — to fully orbit the sun, according to NASA. Those extra hours are eliminated from the calendar most years. But every four years, an …