Despite fall flavors taking over coffee shops and pumpkin decor popping up around town, Astronomical Fall does not officially begin this year until the Autumnal Equinox on September 22nd at 7:43 am. Equinox’s mark the two days a year when the sun is located directly above the equator and there are nearly equal amounts of daylight and nighttime. Beginning September 23rd, we will see daily daylight amounts continue to decline until it hitting a minimum at the Winter Solstice on December 21st.
Shorter days also mean cooler weather. Average high temperatures drop below 90 degrees by mid-September in southern Louisiana but we will not see highs average in the 70s until the end of October.
Another promising statistic that arrives with fall is the drop in dew-points (a.k.a. humidity levels) as we trek into the cooler months. By October, the average dew-point each day will be in the 60’s which is very comfortable. By November, even drier conditions will persist and we will likely be reaching for chap stick as our bodies and lips adjust to the drier air.
With lower dew-points, morning lows will also be able to dip cooler each month during the fall. By November 1st, morning lows in the Capital Region will average in the low 50s!
If you happen to be a summer-lover and are not ready for the change of seasons just yet, there is good news for you. The latest CPC temperature outlook shows moderate confidence that temperatures will remain above average through the end of September. So while we may get a quick “taste” of Fall this weekend (September 7th) in the Capital Area, it will likely be what most of us refer to as “False Fall” around here. We know all too well that summer-like conditions are not uncommon to prevail into the month of October… So hold off on making your gumbo for a little while longer!
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