First day of fall nears

Summer's End: Autumn Approaches

The season is turning once more—a reminder that time is a flat circle or, perhaps, a corporate ploy to sell pumpkin-spiced products. Regardless, autumn is coming.

Mark your calendars: September 22nd, 8:44 am EDT, is the official start, with the autumnal equinox. That's according to the Farmer's Almanac. There are two dates to note, though: this astronomical fall, and meteorologists consider September 1st the start of meteorological fall.

Equinox Explained:

Equinoxes are rare; they happen twice a year when the Earth's axis is neutral, neither toward nor away from the sun. This creates an almost equal day and night, a balance before the tilt towards the darkness of winter.

Autumn Colors:

The leaves will begin their transformation soon. By early September, states along Canada's border and Colorado and Utah will see the first changes, according to SmokeyMountains.com's 2024 fall foliage prediction map. By October 30th, nearly all contiguous US states will join this colorful transition.

Winter's Warning:

Before you get too cozy with your pumpkin-spiced everything, remember that winter is always coming. The first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere is the winter solstice, which falls on December 21st this year. It marks the shortest day, the day with the fewest daylight hours, before the slow climb back towards longer days.