Fun Weather Tidbits About The Fall Season

Fall is finally here!  Let the leaves change and the sunset earlier.  I saw a recent survey that showed Fall ranked as the favorite season.  I think that was because the poll was taken in Summer.  :)

But Fall does mark a clear change in the season and one of the most notable changes is the decrease in daylight.

The Autumnal Equinox, which occurred Monday at 9:39pm, is marked when the sun's direct rays hit the Earth's Equator.  This is supposed to generate 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night around the globe.  Hence, the equal in equinox.  Well because sunrise and sunset are not calculated by the center point of the sun it throws off the official daylight time.  For example, sunrise is calculated at the moment the top of the sun peaks above the horizon.  And sunset is calculated when the last top edge of the sun dips below the horizon.  So we are not truly measuring daylight to the center point of the sun.  I don't make the rules, just have to follow them.

The graphic above shows the sunrise and sunset times along with the amount of daylight for days this Fall.  Is anyone ready for winter?

Winter officially begins on Sunday, Dec. 22 this year.  Here are some other important dates.

With the decrease in daylight and the increase in night comes a decrease in average temperatures.  Look at how much the average high and low drops here in DFW over the next few months.

Enjoy the rest of September and the relatively warm temperatures we will see this week!

And HAPPY FALL!

~Larry