Spring 2024: When Daylight Saving Time begins, sun sets after 7 p.m. in NYC

New Yorkers had a sweet taste of spring on Sunday when sunny skies teamed up with 60-degree highs.

Though the NYC weather forecast shows rain for most of the week, we can look forward to the beginning of Daylight Saving Time and the official start of spring!

People walk along the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir framed by Japanese Cherry Blossom trees in Central Park amid the coronavirus pandemic on April 10, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

Plus, several religious and secular holidays grace the spring calendar, including Easter, Eid, Mother's/Father's Day and Opening Day, of course. 

When does Daylight Saving Time begin?

Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 10, at 2 a.m. That means clocks will spring forward on Sunday morning, so anyone who normally wakes up at 7 a.m. will rise at 8 a.m.

You’ll lose an hour of sleep for one night, but the trade-off is more daylight.

Until daylight saving time ends early Nov. 3, the sun will rise later in the morning than it has during standard time – but it will stay light for longer in the evening.

When will the sun set after 7 p.m. in NYC? After 8 p.m.?

On Sunday, once we spring forward our clocks, the sun will set in New York City at 6:57 p.m., according to TimeAndDate.com. Then, we only need to wait two days for those post-7 p.m. sunsets.

Sunset in New York City

Construction cranes sit on the top of the new headquarters of JPMorgan Chase as the sun sets on the skyline of midtown Manhattan and the Empire State Building in New York City on April 25, 2023, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Gary He

Early mornings, however, will be dark for some time – morning commuters will need to wait until 7:13 a.m. for the sun to rise.

New York's first 8 p.m. sunset of the year lands on Thursday, May 9, according to TimeAndDate.com. Luckily, days will grow longer, so by May 9, the sun will rise as early as 5:44 a.m.

When is the first day of spring?

Spring officially begins in the Northern Hemisphere at 11:06 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 19.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 25: People sit on The Great Lawn in Central Park on Memorial Day during the coronavirus pandemic on May 25, 2020 in New York City.

People sit on The Great Lawn in Central Park on Memorial Day during the coronavirus pandemic on May 25, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

Astronomically speaking, the Earth’s equator is aligned directly with the sun on the vernal equinox at this time.

During the vernal equinox, the entire world experiences an equal amount of daylight and darkness.

noaa-leap-year.jpg

The Earth's orbit around the sun gives our planet its four seasons. (Credit: NOAA)

The two solstices and two equinoxes are simply precise moments in time when the sun is in direct alignment with three distinct bands of latitude.
Their dates can vary by a day or two each year since it takes the Earth 365 days and 6 hours (365.25 days) to make one full revolution around the sun, which is why we have a leap year every four years.

The sun sets on lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center in New York City on August 21, 2019 as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

When are the spring 2024 holidays and days of note?

March

  • Sunday, March 10: Daylight Saving Time
  • Evening of Sunday, March 10 (U.S.): Ramadan begins
  • Sunday, March 17: St. Patrick's Day
  • Tuesday, March 19: First day of spring
  • Sunday, March 24: Palm Sunday, Purim
  • Monday, March 25: Holi
  • Thursday, March 28: Opening Day (Mets home opener)
  • Friday, March 29: Good Friday
  • Sunday, March 31: Easter

April

  • Friday, April 5: Yankees home opener
  • Monday, April 8: The Great North American Eclipse
  • Evening of Wednesday, April 10: Eid-al-Fitr
  • Monday, April 15: Tax Day
  • Monday, April 22: Earth Day
  • Evening of Monday, April 22: Passover begins
  • Friday, April 26: Arbor Day

May

  • Sunday, May 5: Orthodox Easter, Cinco de Mayo
  • Sunday, May 12: Mother's Day
  • Monday, May 27: Memorial Day

June

  • Friday, June 14: Flag Day
  • Sunday, June 16: Father's Day
  • Evening of June 16: Eid al-Adha
  • Wednesday, June 19: Juneteenth
  • Thursday, June 20: First day of summer