JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — After a record-warm August on the First Coast, Autumn can’t come soon enough. And despite it still being warm Meteorological Autumn starts on September 1st. This is the case no matter where you are in the Northern Hemisphere regardless of the temperature.
Why September 1st for Meteorological Autumn?
This is mainly for meteorologist record keeping as the astronomical autumn we all learned in school changes day to day.
Plus traditionally Meteorological Winter being December, January and February are the 3 coldest months of the year while June July, and August are the 3 hottest months of the year with the other months being transition periods.
When is Astronomical Autumn?
The start of autumn most of us think about is September 23rd at 2:50AM. It is also known as the Fall Equinox when the Equator has exactly equal day and night. It is also exactly halfway between Astronomical Summer and Winter also known as the Summer and Winter Solstice.
In short, one is for meteorologists and the weather while the other is based on the sun and the earth’s tilt. But both dates are an indicator of cooler temperatures and short days in the northern hemisphere.
Remember this is the case for the Northern Hemisphere, but if hopped on a plane south of the equator, all the information above would be flipped.
