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What time is sunset in Sacramento for the spring equinox? Here’s what change in season means

Despite the lack of sunshine Sacramento has seen this year, longer days are ahead with the official start of spring Monday.

The spring equinox shifts yearly and typically lands on March 20 or 21, according to the National Weather Service.

What is the spring equinox?

The equinox happens twice a year in the fall and spring when there is roughly an equal amount of daytime and nighttime, according to the weather service.

Equinox translates from Latin to “equal night.” While technically March 20 isn’t exactly equal parts sun and darkness, it’s close. The equinox in March is also called a “vernal equinox.” It’s different in the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

It’s the “astronomical beginning of the spring season in the Northern Hemisphere and the autumn season in the Southern Hemisphere,” according to the Old Farmers Almanac.

The sun crosses the celestial equator — imagine you’re standing on the Earth’s equator: the sun would pass directly overhead.

Now, the Northern Hemisphere will see more sun than the Southern. That means:



We’re headed into longer days up to the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.

Sunrise is getting earlier, and sunset later.

For March 20, the sun rose at 7:09 a.m. and will set at 7:17 p.m., according to Date and Time. That’s just over 12 hours and 8 minutes of sunlight.

Spring temperatures

Aside from longer days, the spring equinox typically means warmer temperatures.

Sacramento won’t immediately see the shift.

According to the weather system, a rainy system is underway and forecast to arrive Monday after midnight. Temperature highs are in the 50s. Once that storm moves past Sacramento, Thursday and Friday are predicted to be sunny with temperatures around 60.

Rain will likely pick back up on Sunday.

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