Spring (Template:Sprɪŋ is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition time between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and also to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and customs. At the spring equinox, days are close to 12 hours long with day length increasing as the season progresses.
Meteorologists generally define four seasons in many climatic areas: spring, summer, autumn (or fall) and winter. These are demarcated by the values of their average temperatures on a monthly basis, with each season lasting three months. The three warmest months are by definition summer, the three coldest months are winter, and the intervening gaps are spring and autumn. Spring, when defined in this manner, can start on different dates in different regions. In terms of complete months, in most North Temperate Zone locations, spring months are March, April and May, although differences exist from country to country. (Summer is June, July, August; autumn is September, October, November; winter is December, January, February). The vast majority of South Temperate Zone locations will have opposing seasons with spring in September, October and November.
In the USA and some other regions in the Northern Hemisphere, the astronomical March equinox (currently around 21 March) is often taken to mark the first day of spring, and the Northern solstice is sometimes taken as the first day of summer (usually 21 June in the Northern Hemisphere). In another US tradition, 2 February, Candlemas, can be regarded as the start of spring if it is mild (see Groundhog Day). In South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, spring begins on 1 September, and has no relation to the vernal equinox. In Ireland spring traditionally starts on 1 February, St Brigid's Day, although Irish meteorologists consider the whole of February to be part of winter.
