Who doesn’t love the changing seasons in ACNH? From snow-tipped trees in winter to budding flowers ready to pop with color in spring. Each season has something unique to offer players, but when do the leaves and seasons actually change in ACNH?
Changing leaf color in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
In the same way we experience the physical world, ACNH replicates the slow, natural transition between seasonal colors as the year progresses. Leaves don’t suddenly change to new shades in ACNH!
Players will see seasons at different times of the year, depending on which hemisphere was chosen at the start of the game.
For players in the southern hemisphere who want to know when their seasons change, add six months to the northern hemisphere’s seasonal dates.
Fall season
September 1st marks the first official day of fall in ACNH for northern hemisphere players. However, the island won’t experience any major, seasonal changes at all.
The subsequent days and weeks will see your island’s leaves turn from a dull green to burnt orange and brown. Grass follows the same patterns as the leaves, transitioning from green to darker brown shades as the weeks go by.
By mid-November, the most notable changes will occur, with bright red shades taking hold across most trees to give your island a glorious fall feel.
You don’t have long to enjoy these fall shades though, as winter is coming!
Winter season
Winter starts on November 26th in ACNH, when northern hemisphere players will see the cold season set in as snow falls on the ground below.
If you’re playing between 6pm and 4am after December 10th, you’ll spot the Aurora Borealis in the skies with stunning green and purple shades.
Don’t forget to take lots of photos on your Nook Phone during this peaceful phenomenon on your island!
You’ll have until late February to enjoy the lit-up skies before spring gets ready to bloom into existence and the snow melts.
As the snow charges in during the winter season, snowflakes make an appearance. You can catch them and use them to create Frozen DIY items… or sell them at Nook’s Cranny!
You’ll also notice, once a day, two snowballs will spawn on areas of flat ground. If rolled correctly and pushed together, a SnowBoy will be created who’ll give you Frozen DIYs and large snowflakes.
Spring season
February 25th marks the end of winter – hooray! With a spring in our step (we had to!), we move into the new season and all the events it holds, like the carnival-inspired event called Festivale that’s not to be missed.
By late February, you’ll notice the snow-tipped leaves start to look more colorful as the snow stops falling and begins to melt.
As the season gets well underway, April brings an array of cherry blossoms to all your hardwood trees. From then on, you can catch cherry blossom petals to use in DIYs, and bask in awe at the beauty of your spring-looking island!
You have until May 1st to enjoy the cherry blossom beauties before the season of sun arrives.
Summer season
June 1st marks ACNH summer time for northern hemisphere islands. The leaves and grass become more vibrant and the cherry blossom trees shed their pink petals to make way for bright green leaves.
Although summer brings the return of the scorpion (which you can catch and sell for bells), the hot sun, bright flowers, and long days will make your ACNH island look all the more fun as you bask in the summer season!
You have until August 31st to get your Animal Crossing rays before fall begins and brings wet weather (boo!) and autumnal colors with it.
How often do seasons change in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
In ACNH, each season lasts for three months. However, the most seasonal aesthetics, like bright red trees in fall or vibrant green grass in summer, can be seen towards the end of each season.
When do the seasons change in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
The seasons change every three months and the leaves in ACNH change every season… but very slowly.
If you were expecting to see a sudden change of color on your island, you won’t! Seasons replicate the changes in the physical world, with slow progressions during each quarter of the year.
Enjoy your seasons while it lasts and start crafting those seasonal DIYs!
Check out our guide on how to easily dig up and move trees in ACNH. The more organized your trees are on your island, the better it’ll be to watch the seasons pass by!